This will be the third straight season a former Miss Basketball from the state is joining Indiana women’s basketball after winning the coveted award at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers.
And the Hoosiers would surely be thrilled if freshman Maya Makalusky can deliver similar production to her predecessor, Sydney Parrish. And Makalusky has already begun to show that after she represented the women’s basketball team in the 3-point shootout finale at Hoosier Hoops on Kirkwood, losing to Lamar Wilkerson.
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Makalusky is one of a freshmen tandem joining Teri Moren‘s team along with Nevaeh Caffey who won Miss Basketball in Missouri. Returner Lenee Beaumont handled a question at Big Ten media days on the Big Ten network set about Makalusky.
“I think just trying to instill confidence in her every single day. Whether she makes or misses in the practices, I try to go up to her all the time and be like, ‘Hey, look, those are shots we want for us. Let those go,'” Beaumont said. “And so, speaking for both our freshman, they’ve been from the jump ready to go and attack the whole thing. They don’t play like normal freshman, so we’re super excited for them.”
The 6-foot-4 Makalusky was rated four stars, No. 46 nationally by the 247Sports composite rankings. Caffey, a 5-10 guard, was No. 60 nationally and also rated four stars in those rankings.
Makalusky seemingly fits in an offense that is known for taking 3-pointers. She made 40% of her 3s (247 makes) and was 48% from the field for her career. During HSE’s 2024-25 season which finished Class 4A state runner-up, Makalusky averaged 22.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2 steals per game.
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She could find a role on an IU roster that added eight new faces, including six transfers, and returns one starter in Shay Ciezki. And with the program’s best 3-point shooter transferring to Maryland, there are minutes to be had and a versatile scoring role that may suit Makalusky.
And, surely, the Hoosiers would take matching the output of Parrish, who started her career at Oregon before returning to the Hoosier State, across her two seasons: 11.5 points, 5.7 rebounds across 28.4 minutes (57 games, 50 starts) while shooting 45% from the floor and 38.1% on 3s.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Maya Makalusky, Nevaeh Caffey confident for Indiana women’s basketball
