INDIANAPOLIS — It was an immediate yes from Shay Ciezki.
A chance to represent the Hoosiers in Indiana and “show out for the city a little bit” during Final Four weekend? It was a no-brainer, the Indiana women’s basketball guard said.
That opportunity came by way of an invitation to the College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships a few weeks ago and on Friday, Ciezki put on that Indiana home white jersey for the last time.
“It’s been a surreal experience,” she said after finishing runner-up in the women’s 3-point competition.
“It’s sad, but exciting,” the 5-foot-7 Ciezki continued. “This place allowed me to take my game to the next level, hopefully, so it’s definitely a lot of emotions, but more excitement and gratitude than anything else.”
The Buffalo native was a fan favorite, obviously, with dozens of young fans lining up for autographs and photos with her as Kansas’ Elle Evans prepared to face DePaul’s CJ Gunn in the overall 3-point competition. Ciezki put on a bit of a show at the end of her opening round, dribbling off a few seconds before swishing the final money ball as time expired.
“Honestly, I was just like, I’ve got some time on the clock, let’s dribble it out and see if I can do a little step-back,” Ciezki said, beaming. “That’s my signature. I like doing that. You see it on the court when I play, too, so might as well bring it to the 3-point contest.”
The ensuing roar from the crowd reached decibels heard earlier in the night when Purdue senior Fletcher Loyer and future Boilermaker Luke Ertel delivered signature performances of their own.
“There are so many different things I’m grateful for,” Ciezki said. “To be able to put on this jersey again for the last time is such a cool feeling. To hear the cheers when they’re saying my name, just to know Hoosier fans can travel a little bit down the road — it’s really cool.”
Ciezki was recruited to Bloomington by IU coach Teri Moren, who “took a chance” on the sharpshooting guard following a two-year run at Penn State.
That decision changed the trajectory of Ciezki’s career.
In basketball terms, she set a few career-highs in Year 1 at IU, then constructed an award-winning senior campaign, one in which she was among the nation’s leading scorers at 22.8 points per game on 52.6% shooting (44.6% from 3) and also averaged career-highs in assists (3.1), steals (1.5) and rebounds (3.8). She was one of the few constants for the youthful Hoosiers and received All-Big Ten and a USBWA All-American honorable mention for her efforts.
Beyond the numbers — and perhaps most importantly — Ciezki’s time at Indiana helped her rediscover her love for the game. She gained an “extra burst of life” from her coaches and teammates, she said, describing them as “lifelong friends.”
“It comes down to the staff,” Ciezki explained. “They pour into you, they love on you, they’re hard on you — everything you want in a coaching staff, you can find at Indiana.”
“We had our big wins last year and a few more this year, but honestly, it’s the little things a lot of people don’t think about like the bus rides, team meetings (and) the sleepovers that I’ll remember the most,” she continued. “It’s crazy how time flies.”
Shay Ciezki on IU women’s basketball: ‘The future is bright’
There is a lot for fans to look forward to with the IU women’s basketball program, which has one of the nation’s top recruiting classes incoming and is hard at work in the transfer portal.
“I can’t say too much, but we definitely have some really good transfers coming in and I’m excited to see how they fit,” Ciezki said.
The Hoosiers are returning their second- and third-leading scorers in Lenée Beaumont and 2025 IndyStar Miss Basketball Maya Makalusky, but do have six players set to enter the transfer portal, most notably starting freshman guard Nevaeh Caffey.
“That’s the way college sports work right now,” Ciezki said. “You’re going to see turnover. It doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with the program. It’s just kids are moving on to different things and you see the priorities within those players. But I’m excited to see what the future holds for IU.”
Shay Ciezki preparing for WNBA Draft
Ciezki’s focus since season’s end has been on preparing for the WNBA draft. To that end, she has been doing two-a-day workouts, hitting the weight room and taking interviews with WNBA teams.
“There are a lot of different aspects that go into it, (but) it’s going really well,” she said. “I just need an opportunity. But I think it’s going to be really good.”
Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How transferring to IU women’s basketball helped Shay Ciezki rediscover love of basketball
Reporting by Brian Haenchen, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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