Indiana women's basketball secures Big Ten tournament berth

Hoosiers need to win final two regular season games to clinch spot

Feb. 22, 2026 at 11:09pm

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After a tough start to the Big Ten season, the Indiana women's basketball team has a clear path to qualify for the conference tournament. The Hoosiers improved to 4-12 in the Big Ten with a win over Oregon and have two remaining games against teams outside the top 15 in the standings. IU can clinch a tournament spot as early as this Wednesday if they beat Rutgers and Penn State loses.

Why it matters

Qualifying for the Big Ten tournament is a significant accomplishment for the Indiana women's basketball team, which started the conference season 0-10 before turning things around. The new 15-team tournament format, introduced last season, makes it crucial for teams on the bubble to win their final games to secure a spot.

The details

Indiana's 72-65 win over Oregon on Sunday put the Hoosiers at 15th in the Big Ten standings with two games left. Their final opponents, Rutgers and Penn State, are both outside the top 15 in the conference. If IU beats Rutgers on Wednesday and Penn State loses to USC, the Hoosiers will clinch a tournament berth regardless of the outcome of their final game against Penn State.

  • IU improved to 4-12 in the Big Ten with a win over Oregon on Sunday, February 22, 2026.
  • IU's final two regular season games are against Rutgers on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 and Penn State on February 28, 2026.

The players

Teri Moren

Head coach of the Indiana women's basketball team.

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What they’re saying

“Today was a great win for us. We feel like we have to not just win today, you know, we got to get on the road and win at Rutgers, and then we got to come home and we got to finish the rest of it against Penn State. So that's going to be the goal as we finish down the stretch here, and then we'll see where that puts us.”

— Teri Moren, Head Coach (courierpress.com)

What’s next

If Indiana beats Rutgers on Wednesday and Penn State loses to USC, the Hoosiers will clinch a spot in the Big Ten tournament regardless of the outcome of their final regular season game against Penn State.

The takeaway

Indiana women's basketball has shown resilience in fighting back from a tough start to the Big Ten season. By winning their final two regular season games, the Hoosiers can secure a spot in the conference tournament, a significant accomplishment that highlights the team's ability to overcome adversity.