Indiana women's basketball has been on a rollercoaster ride this season. From ugly wins to uglier losses, the team is constantly searching for consistency. Coach Teri Moren knew there would be an adjustment period with key players moving to different roles. Injuries have also added to the challenges, but the team is determined to stay the course.

Indiana Women's Basketball: Navigating the Ups and Downs

Indiana women's starting backcourt needs to mesh

The chemistry between Chloe Moore-McNeil and Shay Ciezki is a work in progress. Ciezki, who transferred from Penn State, is getting used to the more disciplined offensive approach in Bloomington. Moore-McNeil, on the other hand, is adjusting to playing longer stretches without being the primary ball-handler. This has led to some confused possessions, with the team averaging 16.0 turnovers per game. Ciezki is averaging a career-high 2.8 turnovers per game, and Moore-McNeil is also at a career-high 2.6. After returning from the Bahamas, the coaching staff installed new plays to avoid stagnant moments. If the guards play with confidence, Indiana will be a more dangerous team. There have been glimpses of their potential - Ciezki dropped 34 points on Baylor and Moore-McNeil had 22 points and four assists against Maine. The only game this season where they were both that effective at the same time was against Stanford, where they combined for 40 points (14 of 24) with four 3-pointers in the 79-66 win.

Indiana women's basketball forward Lilly Meister has to be more 'assertive'

Whenever Indiana starting forward Lilly Meister fades into the background, the team suffers. Meister took on the tough task of starting in place of the team's most productive (and popular) player with only one career start. There have been stretches this season where her play at the rim has resembled that of her mentor. She had an explosive performance, scoring eight points in less than four minutes in the third quarter of a win over Columbia and 14 points in the third quarter against Maine. Moren wants Meister to be more "assertive" going forward. She also wants to see Meister adjust to longer stretches on the floor. Holmes averaged 28-plus minutes in four straight seasons, but Meister isn't at that conditioning level yet. She's only played more than 30 minutes once in IU's first nine games. "Personally, I'd like to keep Lilly on the floor longer, but we have a hard time doing that when she fatigues and when she's tired, she's either going to foul or come up short with her shot," Moren said.

Indiana women's basketball has to rely on 'old school' defensive mentality

Moren felt a sense of déjà vu watching her team earlier this week. Indiana managed to erase a 15-point deficit against Southern Illinois despite shooting just 35.6%. The key came in the fourth quarter when the Hoosiers held USI without any points for five-plus minutes. "I'm old school. I believe that you hang your hat on the defensive side of the ball. If it's low scoring, it's low scoring. You still give yourself a chance if you can execute the defensive plan." It was a performance that reminded Moren of how her IU teams of old managed to regularly win 20-plus games. The 73-65 win over then-No. 17 Baylor in the Battle 4 Atlantis was another example. The Hoosiers pulled out the victory despite shooting 37.5% (5 of 17 from 3-point range) by holding one of the top scoring teams in the country to two points (no field goals) through the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter. The Bears also turned it over five times during that stretch. This consistent defensive intensity could be the key for a roster lacking the same offensive firepower as in recent years. "We're playing in a day in age where everybody wants to see high-scoring, and trust me I want to score too, you have to in order to win the game, but I don't want to get away from how we built this thing. We've been a very difficult team to play against. We really try to take what you want to do away. We're not there yet, we still have to work and continue to grow with this crew."Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.