INDIANAPOLIS — This was the new supersized Big Ten women’s tournament: Fifteen teams, 13 states and three time zones represented. Old faces from the Midwest, new faces from the West. 13 of the top 43 teams in the latest NET rankings. When it came time to decide on the championship Sunday, two programs 14 miles apart met in an arena 2,000 miles from campus.
This league has the makings of a monster of a conference in women’s basketball. By many projections, 13 of the 15 teams who played here are headed for the NCAA tournament. USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said the Big Ten’s depth impressed her quickly. “The fact that we have teams that are 10, 11, 12 seeds here who might be a better seed in the national tournament is wild, right?” she said.
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So what happened when this far-flung, made-for-TV family finally all got together? Here are some takeaways from five days in Indy.
The road to the top in Big Ten women’s basketball at the moment is the Santa Monica Freeway in Los Angeles.
The league excels in depth, but the alpha teams seem clear enough — the new neighbors from the West Coast. When No. 2 USC and No. 4 UCLA entered Gainbridge Fieldhouse Sunday on a blue carpet with their bands…
