IU women's basketball Coach Teri Moren stood in front of the Hoosier Hysteria crowd at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall recollecting her life growing up as an IU fan.
She then tied in that childhood with the 13,007 fans that showed up in the 2018 WNIT championship game March 31.
"I never thought I would see a crowd like that, a crowd all the way up in the rafters watching women’s basketball,” Moren said.
The 2017-18 women's team brought the program to new heights, winning its first WNIT title.
It was at this year's Hoosier Hysteria that the celebration reached its peak, as the championship banner was raised into the rafters of Assembly Hall.
The lights dimmed, and the scoreboard played a video of the championship game victory over Virginia Tech. A spotlight shined on the banner as it rose up into the air on the south end of the arena, facing the five men's national championship banners hanging in Assembly Hall.
“It’s just an indescribable feeling,” senior Kym Royster said. “A banner hasn’t been hung in here in a long time. It’s going to feel good to be part of something this special.”
No banner-raising would be complete without two key parts of the team's run. To a standing ovation, Moren brought Tyra Buss and Amanda Cahill out on the floor.
“Two of the all-time ever to wear an Indiana jersey,” Moren said of Buss and Cahill. “They were pretty significant in that championship game against Virginia Tech.”
They weren’t just significant against Virginia Tech, but they were also significant in building a foundation at IU. Buss left IU as the all-time scoring leader in the history of the women’s basketball program.
“It’s a huge step in the right direction — just seeing that and continuing to move forward from here," sophomore Jaelynn Penn said.
Moren continually thanked fans during her speech, especially for being there during the WNIT tournament run. In the championship game against Virginia Tech, the crowd set the record for the largest to view a women’s game at Assembly Hall.
“You are the best part of Indiana,” Moren said to the fans.
The banner raising also marked the end of the celebration. After the team's first practice Thursday and Hoosier Hysteria, Moren and the Hoosiers talked about taking the next step.
“They have a lot of personality,” Moren said of her team. “They are a fun group. Expectations are always high in our program, and this year is not any different.”
