Indiana Women's Basketball Welcomes an Indiana Miss Basketball Alongside Two Showstoppers to Roster

With the departure of three starters, Indiana added three more dynamic players in 6'4" forward Providence transfer Alyssa Geary, 2020 Indiana Miss Basketball Sydney Parrish and three-time all Big Ten honoree Sara Scalia to the 2022-23 roster.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana women’s basketball adds Alyssa Geary, Sydney Parrish and Sara Scalia to the 2022-23 season roster.

With the graduation of guards Ali Patberg and Nicole Cardaño-Hillary, the exit of guard Grace Waggoner and the departure of forward Aleksa Gulbe, the team was in need of height, leadership and a competitive work ethic that Indiana head coach Teri Moren appreciates.

“We are excited about adding Alyssa, Sydney and Sara to our roster,” Moren said. “They have all had success at their previous stops, but most importantly, they are fantastic young women.

“They are hard workers who are excited about the direction of our program. I know our fans are going to enjoy watching these three along with our returners and the four freshmen we signed in the fall. We are continuing to build our program with exceptional young women who want to do the work to compete for a Big Ten Championship and the Final Four.”

Geary, the 6’4” forward who will add more height to the Hoosiers, comes in as a graduate student transfer from Providence. The Elmhurst, Ill. native played for four seasons at Providence where she appeared in 118 games making 66 starts. 

Alyssa Geary

Feb 27, 2022; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; Providence Friars forward Alyssa Geary (32) looks for an opening against UConn Huskies forward Aaliyah Edwards (3) in the second half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

As a senior last season, Geary averaged 9.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, two assists and 1.1 blocked shots making her a versatile player. She reached double figures 16 times in her senior season and was second in scoring for the Friars. She was also third in assists and blocked shots.

Mar 7, 2021; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Providence Friars forwards Alyssa Geary (32) and Mary Baskerville (10) go for a rebound against Marquette Golden Eagles guard Jordan King (23) during the third quarter at Mohegan Sun. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

“We are really looking forward to getting Alyssa to Bloomington,” Moren said. “When we called, we could tell immediately that this was going to be a good fit. She is going to give us some versatility inside. She has great length, is very skilled and can knock down the perimeter shot, along with being a phenomenal passer. She also has the ability to guard multiple positions.”

Parrish will return to her home state for her junior season after playing for Oregon for two years. The Fishers native was the 2020 Indiana Ms. Basketball and will now be 70 miles away from home rather than 2,282 miles.

She started in all 32 games last season and played in 55 games for the Ducks. As a sophomore, she averaged 8.8 points and went 35.4 percent from beyond the arc. She contributed 3.3 rebounds and played about 25 minutes per contest.

As a freshman, Parrish played in 23 of 24 games and made two starts earning her the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week. Parrish has two experiences in the Big Dance including a 2020-21 Sweet Sixteen run.

Before her college career, Parrish led her Hamilton Southeastern high school team to a Class 4A state title as a junior and was named an Indiana All-Star, McDonald’s All American and Jordan Brand Class selection as the Royals all-time leading scorer.

Sydney Parrish

Oregon's Sydney Parrish, right, shoots a layup during the first half against McNeese.

“We are very glad that Sydney is back in Indiana,” Moren said. “We’ve had a long relationship dating back to her days before her decorated high school career where she was a McDonald’s All American and Indiana Miss Basketball. We want to recruit the very best players, and Sydney undoubtedly fits that mold. What stands out the most about her is her competitiveness. She is tough, and she plays hard.”

Last but not in the slightest bit least, the Stillwater, Minn. native Scalia and fellow Big Ten player played three seasons for the Golden Gophers where she scored 1,158 points and ranks in the top 10 for six career categories. Her program record field goal percentage stands firm at 88.8 percent.

This past season, she earned an All-Big Ten second team selection after leading the Gophers with an average 17.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2 assists per game. She shot 41.3 percent from beyond the arc, 91.5 percent from the charity stripe and started in all 33 games.

She had one of the program’s best offensive performances hitting 111 three-pointers in one season, a Golden Gopher record. She scored in double figures 26 times and helped Minnesota earn a second round WNIT appearance in the 2020-21 season.

Minnesota guard Sara Scalia (14) goes up for a shot during the second quarter of an NCAA women's basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022 at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette.

She is a three-time all Big Ten honoree including an all freshman title in the 2019-20 season.

The Hoosiers are used to facing Scalia and have known her playing tendencies as a fellow Big Ten competitor. In Indiana’s 80-70 victory over the Golden Gophers in February, Scalia scored a team-high 26 points.

“Sara is a phenomenal pickup for us,” Moren said. “She is one of the very best three-point shooters in the country. It is important for us that we find players that fit our culture and mesh with our team. I think we found a perfect fit with Sara.

“Along with her shooting, Sara can play both on and off the ball. We have had to game plan against Sara, and she was one of the toughest players to prepare for. She has unbelievable shooting range and the ability to get to the rim.”

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