Gigi Battle and DME Academy Advance to the Chipotle Nationals Girls Basketball Championship Game Indiana University Signee Gigi Battle scored 12 points along with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 3 turnovers for DME Academy from Daytona Beach Florida as they beat the St. James Academy from Springfield Virginia 60-50 in the Semifinals of the Chipotle Nationals Girls Basketball Tournament Friday Morning at Hamilton Southeastern HS in Fishers. Battle played for 30 minutes going 4-11 from the field, 0-3 from three-point range and 4-7 from the free throw line. Battle and DME Academy will play in the Championship Game Tomorrow Morning at 10 AM on ESPN2. USC Commit Sara Okeke scored 22 points and pulled down 7 rebounds and Micaela Cavalcanti scored 12 points by hitting four triples along with 10 points off the bench from Junior Timani Harris as they combined for 56 of the teams 60 points.
Battle is excited to be playing in her final high school games in the State of Indiana, and she is looking forward to getting to Bloomington to start her college career. “It’s a basketball state and I am excited to be around the love of the game” Battle said after the game. Battle loves and embraces the support she has received from Hoosier Nation since announcing her commitment to the Hoosiers. “I feel so welcomed here by all the fans and I cannot wait to play in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall from front of all of them.” DME improves to 24-4 on the season and went 24-53 from the field for 45%, 6-18 from three-point range for 33% and 6-11 from the free throw line for 55%. DME had 22 rebounds, 17 assists, 16 steals, 3 blocks and 19 turnovers.
St. James Academy finishes the season 23-4 as the Independent School National Champions suffer their first loss since December 13, 2025, against Spire Academy from Ohio 73-69 and beat DME Academy earlier in the season. Junior Ashley McCalla scored 17 points and Maryland Signee Jordyn Jackson added 10 points. Junior Jezelle Banks scored 8 points. St James was without 6-3 Center Lyla Coogen and Junior Guard Jada Dixon. The Strivers were 18-46 from the field for 39%, 2-9 from three-point range for 22% and 12-17 from the free throw line for 71%. St James had 25 rebounds, 13 steals, 10 assists, 5 blocks and 21 turnovers as DME was attacking defensive pressuring and forcing turnovers all game long.
The game featured 6 lead changes and 3 ties as DME led 14-12 after the first quarter. DME outscored St James 15-10 in the second quarter and led 29-22 at halftime. DME outscored St James 13-10 in the third quarter and led 42-32 going into the fourth quarter. Both teams scored 18 points in the fourth quarter, but DME is the 5th seed in this six-team tournament knocks out the 4th seed Long Island Lutheran and now takes down the Top Seed St. James Academy to play for the Chipotle Nationals Title in the State that Gigi Battle will call home as an Indiana Hoosier and hopes for a storybook ending to her high school career.
The Bullis School from Potomac, Maryland beat the Westtown School from West Chester, Pennsylvania 74-56 in the Second Semifinal of the Chipotle Nationals Girls Tournament Friday Afternoon at Hamilton Southeastern HS in Fishers. Bullis is 29-6 on the season and won the Maryland Private School State Championship. The Bulldogs put four in double figures led by Fordham Commit Adora Nwude with 26 points along with 15 points and 12 rebounds from one of the best Juniors in the country in Ivanna Waston-Manyacka. Sophomore Taylor Willams scored 14 points, and her classmate Dhalia Deborou added 13 points as all five starters scored with Adina Asuelimen added 6 points. Bullis went 27-58 from the field for 48%, 9-15 from three-point range for 60% and 11-16 from the free throw line for 69%. Bullis had 36 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals, 2 blocks and 16 turnovers as the game was tied once and the Bulldogs never trailed for the second straight game.
Junior Jada Lynch led Westtown with 24 points and Ohio State bound Atlee Vanesko added 10 points. Westtown ends the year 29-3. The Moose were 21-53 from the field for 40%, 4-17 from three-point range for 24% and 10-13 from the free throw line for 77%. Westtown had 26 rebounds, 11 assists, 7 steals, 6 blocks and 17 turnovers. Bullis led 18-8 after the first quarter and outscored Westtown 19-17 in the second quarter and led 37-25 at halftime. Bullis had a strong third quarter with a 23-12 advantage heading into the fourth quarter leading 50-37. Westtown outscored Bullis 19-14 in the fourth quarter as Bullis who is seeded third takes down the number 2 Seed Westtown as the Championship Game is set between #5 DME Academy and #3 Bullis Tomorrow Morning at 10 AM on ESPN2.
Indiana University Men’s Basketball Signee Vaughn Karavla and CIA Bella Vista Advance to the Chipotle Nationals Championship Game Indiana University Signee Vaughn Karvala scored 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, a block and turnover as CIA Bella Vista from Phoenix Arizona beat Dynamic Prep from Dallas Texas 81-62 in the Semifinals of the Chipotle Nationals Boys Basketball Tournament Friday Afternoon at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers. CIA Bella Vista will play for the Championship at Noon on ESPN and improves 25-4 on the season. Karvala was 5-10 from the field, 2-6 from three-point range and will get to complete his school career in the state that he will call home for his college career. Seven-Footer Amadou Sieni scored 15 points and pulled down 18 rebounds West Virginia Commit Miles Sadler led the Bears with 21 points and dished out 10 assists. Junior Paul Osaruyi scored 12 points and had 6 rebounds.
The Bears went 29-56 from the field for 52%, 8-21 from three-point range for 38% and 15-24 from the free throw line for 63%, CIA Bella Vista had 46 rebounds, 16 assists, 5 steals, 5 blocks and 16 turnovers. The Bears led 41-31 at halftime and outscored Dynamic Prep 40-31 in the second half and led by as many as 27 points in the game. Texas Tech Bound Dakari Spear scored 22 points and went 7-7 from the free throw line. Marcus Spears Jr. scored 16 points and 10 rebounds as they ended their season with a 17-2 record for Head Coach and former Indiana Pacer Jermaine O’Neal. Dynamic Prep went 20-63 from the field for 32%, 5-25 from three-point range for 20% and 17-25 from the free throw line for 68%. Dynamic had 26 rebounds, 11 steals, 9 assists, 2 blocks and 10 turnovers.
Montverde Academy held off top seed AZ Compass Prep 68-67 in double overtime in the First Semifinal Friday afternoon. The game featured 10 ties and 13 lead changes, and every possession had fans on the edge of their seats all game long as Montverde led by as many as 14 points and AZ Compass Prep led by 6 points. Montverde led 33-22 at halftime. AZ Compass Prep outscored Montverde 13-7 in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime 51-51. Both teams scored 8 points to make it 59-59 heading to double overtime and once again Montverde came up with the win outscoring the Dragons 9-8 in the second overtime to advance to the Championship game.
Junior O’Neal Delancy scored 20 points to lead the Eagles who are 23-6 on the season. Dhani Miller scored 17 points and 9 rebounds. Javon Tindale scored 15 points, and Joe Philon scored 10 points. The Eagles were 23-54 from the field for 43%, 7-24 from three-point 25 range for 29% and 15-20 from the field for 75%. Montverde had 25 rebounds, 12 steals, 9 assists, 8 blocks and 15 turnovers. Maryland Bound Kaden House scored 26 points and 11 rebounds to lead AZ Compass Prep as the Dragons end their season with a 26-3 record. Junior DeMarcus Henry had 18 points and 13 rebounds for his second double-double in as many games. The Dragons were 26-66 from the field for 39%, 7-26 from three-point range for 27% and 8-9 from the free throw line for 89%. AZ Compass Prep had 41 rebounds, 12 steals, 6 assists, 3 blocks and 18 turnovers.
Indiana University Women’s Basketball Associate Women’s Basketball Head Coach Rhet Wierzba Honored As 2026 Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award Winner Indiana women’s basketball associate head coach Rhet Wierzba has been named the 2026 Pat Summitt Most Courageous award winner from the United States Basketball Writers Association in a ceremony as part of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Final Four on Friday. Wierzba, who just completed his 12th season with the program in 2025-26, has been battling a brain tumor since June 2024. During his time with the program, Wierzba has been a part of seven trips to the NCAA Tournament including three Sweet Sixteens, an Elite Eight, 10-straight 20-win seasons, a Big Ten Conference regular season championships. He has been in the forefront of recruiting and developing Indiana women’s basketball talent over the last decade, bringing the program to new levels of success.
“I am extremely honored to receive the Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award,” Wierzba said. “To be put in the same sentence as Coach Summitt is very humbling. She is one of the most courageous, successful, and impactful coaches of all time, regardless of gender or sport. In the past two years, the support from the women’s basketball community during my journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. It’s with continued encouragement, positivity and my faith that I continue to fight my battle while also being able to continue to do the job I love so much.”
The USBWA annually recognizes a player, coach, official or administrator who has demonstrated extraordinary courage reflecting honor on the sport of amateur basketball. In 2012, the last of Pat Summitt’s 38 seasons at the University of Tennessee, an annual recognition for women’s basketball was created in her name. Honorees have included Lauren Hill of Mount St. Joseph University, Holly Rowe of ESPN, Kendall Currence of Northeastern, Angelique Francis of Little Rock and University of Southern Mississippi coach Joye Lee-McNelis.
Shay Ciezki snags WBCA Coaches’ All-America Honorable Mention Indiana women’s basketball senior guard Shay Ciezki has picked up another All-American honor, this time by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association for the 2026 Division I Coaches’ All-America team. Ciezki earns a place on the honorable mention squad and the first player since 2024 to receive a spot on the postseason award. She is the 10th player in school history to pick up an honorable mention nod. She previously earned USBWA All-American honorable mention honors this season.
In one of the most impressive single seasons in IU women’s basketball history, Ciezki averaged 228 points per game and scored 708 points while knocking down 79 3-pointers She finished second in a single season in school history while setting the school record for points per game in a single season. She is the second player in NCAA Division I women’s basketball to average a 50/40/90 while scoring 20+ or more (Eva Hodges, William & Mary 2019). The Buffalo, N.Y. native shot 52.6 percent from the floor, 44.6 percent from the 3-point line and 90.8 percent at the free throw line. She scored in double figures in 30 of 31 games played in her senior season, scoring 20 points or more 23 time and had seven 30-point games. In addition, Ciezki is in the Top 10 in the nation in points per game, 3-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
She became the fastest player to 1,000 points in IU history in 2025-26, hitting the career mark in her 60th game played for the program. She sits 30th all-time in scoring (1,097). Ciezki was named the Big Ten Player of the Week twice which led to All-Big Ten honors in 2025-26. She earned a place on the first team from the league’s media and second team from the league’s coaches. Ciezki participated in the 2026 Celsius Women’s 3-Point Championship as part of the 37th annual State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships Last Night at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Brought by Former Indiana University Men’s Basketball Players A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against Indiana University in which former men’s basketball players alleged improper sexual conduct by former team doctor Brad Bomba. The judge ruled the players’ complaint fell beyond the two-year statute of limitations. Former players Haris Mujezinovic and Charlie Miller first attached their names to the lawsuit in October 2024, and they were joined by two others. The athletes connected to the lawsuit all played at IU more than 20 years ago. The Title IX lawsuit, filed in October 2024, alleged IU officials failed to stop alleged misconduct by Bomba despite evidence they were aware of complaints about his behavior.
In dismissing the lawsuit, Judge Tonya Walton Pratt stated the plaintiffs’ own statements connected to the case indicate they “knew of the fact of their injury around the time they were assaulted.” Bomba was an IU basketball team physician for nearly 30 years. He died last May at age 89. Tim Garl, who was named as a defendant, was Indiana’s head athletic trainer from 1981 until last year, when the university announced it would not renew him for a 45th season. Jones Day, hired by IU to investigate the original allegations, determined Bomb acted in a “clinically appropriate manner.” The report, issued in May 2025, didn’t find Bomba’s exams to be in “bad faith or with an improper purpose.”
Indiana Fever Players Chloe Bibby and Kristy Wallace Taken in the WNBA Expansion Draft Forward Chloe Bibby and guard Kristy Wallace are headed to new teams after the Indiana Fever players were selected in the WNBA expansion draft. Portland, which is welcoming a WNBA team back to the city after 24 years, selected veteran forward Bridget Carleton with the first pick in Friday’s draft. Guard Julie Allemand, who played last season for the Los Angeles Sparks, was selected by the Toronto Tempo with its first pick. The Tempo won a coin flip and opted to take the sixth pick in the college draft on April 13 over the top pick in the expansion draft. So Portland went first on Friday and will have the seventh pick in the college draft.
Carleton, who played last season for the Minnesota Lynx and averaged 6.5 points a game, was an unrestricted free agent. “Once we finalized our process, and zoomed in on Bridget, and knew we had our first expansion pick, it was obvious we did not want to have Toronto hold our destiny in their hands,” Portland general manger Vanja Cernivec said. Allemand averaged 5.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5 assists in 34 games last season. The league’s teams protected five players apiece ahead of the expansion draft, but those lists were not made public, leading to speculation about which players were available.
On Wednesday, the Chicago Sky announced trades with the Tempo and the Fire, which prevented the expansion teams from selecting Sky players. In exchange, the Fire got the No. 17 pick in the college draft and the No. 26 pick went to the Tempo. The expansion draft had two rounds, with up to six picks for each team in each round. The teams alternated picks, with the Tempo picking first in the second round after the Fire got the first overall selection. Teams could only lose two players to the expansion draft. If a player was taken in the first round, a second player from that same franchise couldn’t be taken until the second round.
Following Allemand, the Tempo selected center Nyara Sabally from the Liberty, guard Marina Mabrey, a Notre Dame alum, from the Sun, forward Aaliya Nye from the Aces, guard Lexi Held from the Mercury, and forward Maria Conde from the Valkyries. In the second round the Tempo selected forward Maria Kliundikova from the Lynx, center Adja Kane from the Liberty, center Nikolina Milic from the Sun, guard Kitija Laksa from the Mercury, and Wallace from the Fever.
Wallace played two seasons with the Fever, averaging 5.8 points in 63 games in 2023 and 2024. She elected to sit out the 2025 season, though the Fever retained her rights. The native Australian represented her home nation in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, winning a Bronze medal. After Carleton, the Portland Fire selected guard Carla Leite from the Valkyries, center Luisa Geiselsoder from the Stars, forward Emily Engstler from the Mystics, guard Maya Caldwell from the Dream and Bibby from the Fever.
Bibby played nine games with the Fever last season after starting her rookie season with Golden State. She averaged 3.9 points per game for Indiana before a knee injury ended her season in early September. In the second round Portland took guard Haley Jones from the Wings, forward Nyadiew Puoch from the Dream, guard Sara Ashlee Barker from the Sparks, guard Sug Sutton from the Mystics and guard Nika Muhl from the Storm. Mabry was also an unrestricted free agent. Each team was allowed to pick only one unrestricted free agent. Portland previously had a WNBA team, also called the Fire, that played from 2000 to 2002.
Taylor University Athletics Ranked 15th in NAIA Director’s Cup Winter Standings The Learfield Director’s Cup Winter Standings were announced for the NAIA on Thursday, with Taylor remaining among the nation’s elite and in 15th in the overall standings. After a historic fall season that produced TU’s third-ever team NAIA National Championship among four national qualifiers, Taylor had five more teams qualify for NAIA Nationals during the winter seasons. The Taylor competitive cheer program led the way by finishing in 11th at the NAIA National Championships, while the men’s indoor track and field team took 15th at Nationals and the women’s indoor track and field team placed 26th. The Taylor men’s and women’s basketball teams also earned points by qualifying for the NAIA National Tournament. Those five teams combined for 185.75 points for the Trojans, which added to the fall total of 264.00 put Taylor in 15th-of-172 teams in the overall standings with 449.75 points.
Points are awarded for the Director’s Cup Standings based on team finishes at NAIA National Championship events in up to 13 varsity sports. Each school’s total point total must include results from men’s soccer and volleyball in the fall season and men’s and women’s basketball in the winter season. All additional points come from the school’s next nine-highest sports. The next batch of Director’s Cup Standings will be announced in June, following the completion of the spring championships.