One thing is for certain in the new-look Big Ten Conference as it pertains to women’s basketball – you’d better make every game against each opponent count. In most cases, a team doesn’t get a second-chance to make up for it.
While the Big Ten expanded to 18 teams with the addition of Oregon, Southern California, UCLA and Washington, the Big Ten women’s basketball slate did not expand. The women will still play an 18-game conference schedule.
With 18 teams, that means Big Ten women’s teams will only play one team twice – their designated primarily rival. In Indiana’s case, of course, that means Purdue.
That also means one-off games against powers like Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, USC and UCLA.
Of those teams, Indiana does get the major advantage of playing USC and UCLA at home. The Bruins, projected by some experts to be a Top 5 team after a Sweet 16 run in 2024, come to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Jan. 4.
Sensational USC guard JuJu Watkins and her Trojans come to Assembly Hall on Jan. 19. USC was an Elite Eight team in 2024.
Indiana’s rivalry series with Purdue begins at Assembly Hall on Feb. 15. Indiana finishes the season at Purdue on March 2.
Indiana also hosts Wisconsin (Dec. 28), Illinois (Jan. 16), Big Ten Tournament runner-up Nebraska (Feb. 2), Rutgers (Feb. 6), Ohio State (Feb. 20) and Maryland (Feb. 27).
Indiana opens Big Ten play with a road contest at Penn State on Dec. 7. That will mark the return of guard Shay Ciezki, who transferred to Indiana from Penn State in the offseason.
Indiana visits Iowa on Jan. 12. This has been a much-anticipated, top-of-the-Big Ten contest in recent seasons. Both teams lost stars Caitlin Clark (Iowa) and Mackenzie Holmes (Indiana), but both retain enough talent to remain in the thick of the Big Ten race.
Indiana makes its West Coast trip in late January. The Hoosiers play at Oregon on Jan. 24 and go to Washington on Jan. 27.
Indiana also visits Northwestern (Jan. 8), Minnesota (Feb. 9), Michigan (Feb. 12) and Michigan State (Feb. 23).
The Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament is March 5-9 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Here’s Indiana’s 2024-25 Big Ten women’s basketball schedule, with game time and TV information to be determined.
2025 Big Ten Tournament
