They are each other’s partners in the layup line before each game. They high-five each other a majority of the time when bringing the ball up the court. They have a feel for where each other is on every possession. They are IU women’s basketball’s foundation — seniors Tyra Buss and Amanda "B" Cahill.
One is a guard, the other is a forward, but everything over the past four years has Buss’ and Cahill’s names on it somewhere.
All eyes this season have been on this dynamic duo, and rightfully so.
Ever since the duo came to the program in 2014, they have only wanted to help elevate it to another level. To say they have done that would be an understatement.
They stand as the only seniors on the team this year, and with their most recent win against TCU, they became the all-time winningest senior class in IU history, with 81 career wins.
“Going out to eat after games or just being on campus, people are talking about our team a lot,” Cahill said. “We didn’t have a lot of attendance when we first came here, so it’s cool to see how far the program has come.”
Coming into the year, IU Coach Teri Moren said she knew records would be broken by her dynamic duo. And plenty have been.
Starting with Buss, she stands atop the IU record books in career points, steals, and free throws made and attempted, as well as assists. She needs just three more 3-pointers made to hold that record, too. Buss is also just the sixth player in IU history, both men's and women's, to eclipse 2,000 career points.
Then to Cahill, who has over 1,000 career rebounds, which puts her in second place. She is also the second player in program history to score 1,600 points and grab 1,000 rebounds. Cahill is No. 4 all-time in points, with 1,872, and No. 8 all-time in career steals, with 187. Like Buss, Cahill is also close to the 3-pointers made record, as she needs six more. She is also No. 1 in 3-point percentage at 38.8 percent.
Individual statistics are one thing. Program-lifting victories are another.
In their sophomore season, 2015, they helped the team reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 14 years. Not just that — they picked up a first-round win in the tournament, something that hadn’t been done in 33 years.
Even though an NCAA Tournament appearance was what they wanted in their final season, when they got left off the bracket, Buss and Cahill turned their mind to a goal they’ve always wanted to accomplish here — hanging a banner.
Buss, Cahill and the Hoosiers stand one win away from hanging a WNIT Championship banner in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, and they’ll get to play the game right at home too, tweeting #1 more each time they mention it.
“It’s really special, but I also think it’s extra special to be at home again,” Cahill said. “Especially being seniors, we get to play our last collegiate game where it all began.”
What was thought to be their last home game was their senior day on Feb. 17 against Nebraska. Buss and Cahill were both honored before the game and both addressed the crowd after the game. Little did they know, they’d be able to play host to all six games in the WNIT and receive more and more fans coming to cheer them on each game. Buss and Cahill joked that this championship game is senior night round two.
“Hoosier nation has been awesome,” Buss said. “It’s going to be really exciting on Saturday, and I hope a lot of people are going to be there to see it.”
Unlike the original senior night, this will be the last time Tyra Buss and Amanda Cahill will play in Assembly Hall. They want the Hall packed, they want a banner hung, and when it’s all said and done, they want to leave a lasting legacy that keeps people talking about IU women’s basketball.
