INDIANAPOLIS — Prior to Indiana women’s basketball’s first Big Ten Tournament matchup, Faith Wiseman had played in just five Big Ten games, averaging just under two and a half minutes per contest.
In each of her appearances — games against Wisconsin, Nebraska, Rutgers and both matchups against Purdue — the freshman forward only saw time on the floor during the final moments of the contests in which the Hoosiers beat their opponents by at least 16 points.
But in the Hoosiers’ matchup against Oregon in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday, senior forward Karoline Striplin and junior forward Lilly Meister found themselves in foul trouble early. Each of the forwards were tagged with three fouls before the end of the first half.
When Meister picked up her third foul with just under three minutes remaining in the second quarter, Indiana head coach Teri Moren and her coaching staff elected to put Wiseman into the game.
While Wiseman did not score a point for the Hoosiers, she played a crucial role for Indiana en route to its 78-62 victory over Oregon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Wiseman recorded her most time in a game with just over 10 minutes played and tallied two rebounds, one assist, one steal and drew two Oregon fouls.
“She came in — I think she was a little scared at first — but she boxed out, rebounded, had two charges,” graduate student guard Sydney Parrish said postgame. “She was a crucial part in our win today, especially because Oregon's interior game is so tall.”
The Ducks’ efforts on the inside are led by senior center Phillipina Kyei and junior forward Amina Muhammad. Indiana lacks the height of the 6-foot-8 Kyei, but Wiseman, who stands at 6 foot 4, provided relief for Meister and Striplin off the bench in limiting Kyei offensively and defensively.
Parrish said it took Wiseman until after halftime to settle in with the nerves surrounding playing her first meaningful minutes of her collegiate career, let alone a Big Ten Tournament game. But as she took the floor in the third quarter, her comfortability grew.
“I think we all were surrounding her in the right moments,” Parrish said. “And I think she started to calm down coming into the second half. She did an amazing job for us, and I couldn't be more proud of her.”
After the Hoosiers’ win over Purdue on Sunday, Moren emphasized her players need to be ready when they are needed, especially come tournament time when the Hoosiers could play games in back-to-back days.
And while Wiseman entering the contest against Oregon was not a matter of exhaustion from Meister and Striplin playing consecutive days, she embodied the mentality Moren stressed: be ready when your number is called.
That mindset is not a trait all the players who pass through Indiana possess, though, Moren said. She said the work Wiseman puts in each day is an aspect that will allow her to build her future at Indiana in future seasons, even if she isn’t playing a considerable about of minutes during Big Ten play.
That work ethic is a quality Wiseman’s coaches and teammates see in her daily. Like Moren, Parrish complimented Wiseman’s drive to get better, even though she rarely plays
“I think she's always the first player in the gym every single day,” Parrish said. “Even though she doesn't play most games, she is still working out every single day, working on her craft, getting better, and she's taken the responsibility of, ‘Hey, maybe, I won't get in a lot of these games, but I'm still going to be prepared, be ready and step up when it's needed.’”
Although Wiseman may not see the court when the Hoosiers take on USC at noon Friday in the quarterfinals, she proved she can hold her own when Moren and the Hoosiers need her to.
If Meister and Striplin get into foul trouble once again, Wiseman will be tasked with a much bigger test — USC graduate student forward Kiki Iriafen. Iriafen averages 18.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game for the Trojans and scored 14 points with seven rebounds when they beat the Hoosiers on Jan. 19.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and Savannah Slone (@savrivers06) and columnist Ryan Canfield (@RyanCanfieldOnX) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s basketball season.
