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In a concerning update for the Indiana women's basketball team, All-American center Mackenzie Holmes faces uncertainty about whether or not she will be able to play in the upcoming Big 10 tournament. The fifth-year senior's availability hangs in the balance following a knee injury sustained during the regular-season finale on Sunday against Maryland.
Coach Teri Moren, speaking to media ahead of the team's departure for Minneapolis, described Holmes's status as “day-to-day.”
The injury was sustained in the third quarter when Holmes landed awkwardly on her ankle, causing her to limp off the court assisted by trainers. This is not the first time Holmes has struggled with her left knee; the player has had a history of knee issues dating back before her time at Indiana. After undergoing surgery in January 2022, Holmes faced another setback in late February 2023, which limited her performance through the Hoosiers' Big 10 and NCAA tournament appearances.
Compounding the team's woes, Lilly Meister, Holmes's backup, also suffered an injury in the Maryland game. Meister, who previously stepped up during last year's NCAA tournament in Holmes's absence, had to be helped off the court after a bad landing on her ankle in the fourth quarter. Coach Moren has since said that both players are undergoing rehabilitation, with Meister dealing with a significant ankle sprain and Holmes focusing on her knee, though neither has been able to practice.
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“I still don't know if they will be available Friday night,” Moren said, per Chloe Peterson of the Indianapolis Daily Star. “They're day-to-day right now, they're in rehab. Lilly had quite a sprained ankle, so we're just trying to tend to that, and then Mackenzie is just rehab and her knee per usual. We're still day-to-day, but neither of them were in practice yesterday, and neither one will be in practice today.”
Moren added that Holmes's left kneecap is prone to shifting, an issue that the team has managed in the past. With the potential absence of both Holmes and Meister, Moren suggested a positional shift for guard Yarden Garzon to center. Garzon, standing at 6-3, matches Holmes and Meister in height and typically plays at the 3.
The Hoosiers, seeded No. 3, are set to begin their tournament journey Friday night in Minneapolis, facing the winner of the match between No. 6 Michigan and the victor of No. 11 Minnesota vs. No. 14 Rutgers.
