Mackenzie Holmes will return to Indiana as graduate manager

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — Indiana Women’s Basketball announced in a press release on Monday that Hoosier legend Mackenzie Holmes will be a graduate manager on the staff for this season.

Holmes finished her career at Indiana this past season after playing five years for the Hoosiers. She was an AP First Team All-American in 2022-23, the first ever in Indiana program history. She was also named All-Big Ten First Team twice and made and All-Big Ten team three times.

She is Indiana’s all-time leading scorer with 2,530 points and ranks first in Indiana program history in wins (123).

The Hoosiers made the NCAA Tournament four times when she was there, including an Elite 8 run in 2020-21 and most recently a run to the Sweet 16 this past season.

Holmes was selected by the Seattle Storm with the 26th overall pick in the third round of the WNBA Draft in April. She will miss the entirety of this year’s WNBA season due to knee surgery.

She will go to the Storm’s Training Camp in 2025.

Holmes will join her former teammate Ali Patberg on the staff. Patberg was promoted to a full-time assistant coach for the upcoming 2024-25 season. She was an assistant coach for the first time last season, as well as the team & recruitment coordinator.

Lauren Fields was also announced as a graduate manager, per the release. Fields wrapped up her five year college career in March. She played three seasons at Oklahoma State, where she was second team All-Big 12 in her junior year in 2021-22. She then transferred to Arizona for one season and completed her career at West Virginia this past season.

Indiana went 26-6 last season, finishing in a tie for second place in the Big Ten with a conference record of 15-3. The Hoosiers’ season ended in the Sweet 16 when they lost to the eventual national champion, South Carolina.