TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State makes the short trek east to the capital city Monday evening, as the Sycamores kickoff the 2025-26 women's basketball season at IU Indy.
Monday's season opener from The Jungle is slated for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff and will be carried on ESPN+.
Sycamores In Season Openers
Indiana State owns a 22-21 record in season openers in its Division I era, which dates back to the 1982-83 season and the foundation of the Gateway Conference.
The Trees have opened their season with a true road game 20 times during that span, and a 8-12 in those games. Indiana State's last time opening a season on the road came during the 2023-24 campaign, when the Sycamores defeated Northern Kentucky 85-82 in overtime in Highland Heights.
Back to the Capital
Monday's season opener is the first of two games in the capital city of Indianapolis for Indiana State this season, as the Sycamores will also pay a visit to Butler in December.
Head Coach
Marc Mitchell is no stranger to the Circle City, as he previously spent two seasons as the head coach of UIndy. Mitchell went 31-27 in his tenure with the Greyhounds.
Indiana State also played at Butler last season, with the Sycamores' last trip to Indianapolis prior to that game coming in the 2018-19 season (also at Butler). The Sycamores' last game at IU Indy came during the 2017-18 season.
All Eyes On Them
Indiana State had three student-athletes named to the MVC's Preseason Players to Watch list, with guards
Kennedy Claybrooks and
Tierney Kelsey, and forward
Amerie Flowers named to the 36-athlete list.
Claybrooks is expected to be a key contributor for the Blue and White this season, as she averaged 9.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists across seven games last season at Southeast Missouri State. The senior guard played three games against Missouri Valley Conference opponents last year while at SEMO, averaging 13.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game in those contests against MVC opposition. Claybrooks averaged 33 minutes per game last year and set career highs in points (19), rebounds (nine), assists (seven), steals (five) and field goals made (seven) during the 2024-25 season.
Kelsey will also factor into the Sycamore backcourt this season and is coming off a campaign which saw her average 3.6 points, 1.3 assists and 1.3 rebounds per game for a Jackson State team which reached the semifinals of the SWAC Tournament last season. The sophomore guard was the only underclassman to feature in Jackson State's rotation last year, playing in all but one game as a freshman and averaging just under 15 minutes per contest.
Flowers is expected to have a significant role in the frontcourt for Indiana State after helping McLennan CC to a conference and region championship during the 2024-25 season. The sophomore forward averaged 6.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game for a McLennan team that went 28-4 during the 2024-25 season and reached the second round of the NJCAA Tournament.
Tough Sledding
Indiana State's 2025-26 schedule once again features a challenging slate for the Blue and White. The Sycamores will play 10 games this season against teams which won 20 or more games during the 2024-25 season, with a potential for an 11th game against a 20-win team from last season depending on if the Trees face Ole Miss at the Cherokee Invitational.
The Sycamores' 20-game MVC slate features eight games against 20-win teams from last season, with Indiana State playing Belmont (26 wins last season), Drake (22), Illinois State (24) and Murray State (25) twice each. Michigan State (22) and Western Kentucky (23) are 20-win teams on the non-conference schedule, with Ole Miss (22) also a possibility depending on results in the Cherokee Invitational.
More than half of Indiana State's 2025-26 schedule consists of games against 2024-25 postseason teams. Of the 31 games on the Sycamores' schedule, 16 come against teams which reached the postseason last year (two each against Belmont, Drake, Illinois State, Murray State, Northern Iowa and UIC, non-conference games against Butler, Michigan State, Western Kentucky and either Old Dominion or Ole Miss).
Veteran Presence
Despite Indiana State having no returners on its 2025-26 roster, the Sycamores are not shy in terms of a veteran look on its team. The Trees feature five athletes who are listed as seniors or graduate students, and also have two redshirt juniors who are in their fourth year of college basketball.
The Sycamores also have no freshmen on their 2025-26 roster and are one of five programs without a true or redshirt freshman on their current roster (the others are Arkansas State, Southern Illinois, Texas Tech and UL-Monroe). The Sycamores and Red Wolves are the only programs without a freshman in two consecutive seasons, as neither program had a freshman on its 2024-25 roster. Wichita State also has no true freshman, though the Shockers do have a redshirt freshman on their roster.
New Year, New Look
Indiana State begins the 2025-26 season, its second under Head Coach
Marc Mitchell, with a new feeling around the program. The Sycamores returned no players from its 2024-25 roster, with 14 newcomers joining the program this season.
Indiana State's 14 newcomers are tied with Northern Arizona and UL-Monroe for the most among any Division I institution. The Sycamores and Warhawks also have the distinction of being the only two Division I institution with no returners from their 2024-25 rosters.
Among Indiana State's 14 new faces, eight come from the NCAA ranks, with six Division I transfers and two Division II transfers. Three Sycamores joined the program from the junior college ranks, while three more came by way of NAIA programs.
McLennan Connection
Indiana State has some continuity within its 2025-26 roster, despite the Sycamores not returning a single player from their 2024-25 team and featuring 14 new faces. Guard
Kennedi Ard and forward
Amerie Flowers are reunited in Terre Haute after the duo were teammates at McLennan CC in 2024-25. Ard and Flowers helped the Highlassies win a conference and regional championship, with McLennan going 28-4 and reaching the second round of the NJCAA Tournament. McLennan's conference championship was its first since 2006, while the regional championship was the program's first since 1984.
Ard averaged 7.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game across 31 games at McLennan last season, drawing the starting nod on nine occasions. She ranked second on McLennan's roster with 47 3-pointers, connecting on three or more treys in nine games. Ard scored in double-figures 10 times last season, and pulled down five or more rebounds in seven games.
Flowers appeared in all 32 games for McLennan last season, including 15 starts, and averaged 6.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. She scored in double-figures nine times last season, while also pulling down five or more rebounds in 14 games.
Picking Up The Pace
Indiana State has shown a desire to play a more up-tempo style of play, with the Sycamores' 75.4 possessions per 40 minutes last season ranking among the best in program history.
Indiana State's uptick in pace last season saw the Sycamores hit single-game marks which had not been reached in over a decade. The Trees scored 90 points in a win over Evansville, marking the first time the Sycamores reached the 90-point mark since the 2013-14 season against Drake. Indiana State tied its program record of 15 3-pointers at Southern Illinois, with the Sycamores' last time hitting 15 3-pointers in a game coming during the 2006-07 season against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
IU Indy At A Glance
IU Indy finished the 2024-25 season at 9-21 overall and 8-12 in Horizon League play. The Jaguars were seventh in the Horizon League last season, falling to Oakland in the first round of the conference tournament.
Nevaeh Foster is the leading returner for the Jaguars at 9.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, with IU Indy losing eight of its top nine scorers from last season. The Jags face the tough task of replacing first team all-conference selection Katie Davidson, who averaged 19.4 points per game and shot better than 50 percent from the field. IU Indy also lost its leaders in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.
Kate Bruce enters her fourth season as head coach at IU Indy and owns a record of 33-57 at the helm of the Jaguars. Bruce enters her 10th season as a head coach and is 167-100 in her head coaching career between Walsh and IU Indy.
Series History Against IU Indy
Indiana State is 10-6 all-time against IU Indy, including a 4-3 mark in Indianapolis. The Sycamores are 6-6 against the Jaguars in the Division I era, with identical 3-3 records in home and away contests.
IU Indy has won the last four meetings, though the two schools have not met since the 2018-19 campaign.
Last Meeting Against IU Indy (Dec. 3, 2018)
Indiana State allowed a fourth quarter charge by IUPUI as the Sycamores dropped their home opener in an in-state battle, 64-59, inside the Hulman Center.
Ashli O'Neal, who reached double digits for the 16th times in 17 games, scored a team-high 15 points for Indiana State. She also was responsible for two assists, two steals and drew one charge and almost a second one. Regan Wentland added 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
After starting off slow, Indiana State rallied back to take a 35-31 lead into the break. The Sycamores outscored the visitors by a 24-11 margin in the second quarter, largely in part to 28 first-half points between O'Neal, Wentland and Tierra Webb. Things unraveled late for the Sycamores, though, as IUPUI outscored Indiana State 19-10 over the last 10 minutes of the game to escape Terre Haute with the win and spoil the Sycamores' home opener.
Up Next
Indiana State has more than a week between Monday's season opener and its next game, with the Sycamores' next contest being their November 11 home opener against Eastern Illinois. Tipoff between the Sycamores and Panthers is slated for 7 p.m. inside Hulman Center.
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