ROSEMONT, Ill. — Indiana women’s basketball guard Sydney Parrish rarely questions Chloe Moore-McNeil, but she made an exception at Big Ten Media Days on Wednesday.

The two sat side-by-side while answering questions from reporters for nearly a half hour at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.

They expressed excitement about the season ahead during the session and remained in lockstep with each other until Moore-McNeil was asked to reflect about her journey from little-used freshman to All-Big Ten talent.

"I think freshman year was really important to me,” Moore-McNeil said. “I didn't play any important, heavy minutes. I took that year to be a sponge and learn from the best like Mackenzie Holmes, the Grace Bergers, I stayed patient and knew my time was coming and stayed consistent with my work."

That’s when Parrish interjected.

"That's not normal, by the way,” Parrish said. “Everyone transfers after not playing for a year or two. Credit to Chloe, she has done her work, put a lot of heart and soul, blood sweat and tears into this program."

More: Indiana women's basketball aiming for perfection at home in 2024-25: 'Protect Assembly'

Indiana guard Chloe Moore-McNeil was “never tempted” to transfer

Moore-McNeil didn’t start a single game in 2020-21 as a freshman out of Greenfield High School in Tennessee.

The former two-time Class A Miss Basketball of the state was a dynamic preps player. As a senior, she led her team to a 34-0 record while averaging 20.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.

She arrived in Bloomington to a roster loaded with backcourt talent from Berger to Ali Patberg to Nicole Cardano-Hillary and Jaelynn Penn. She averaged just 7.3 minutes per game as a freshman and remained in a reserve role the following year.

Moore-McNeil might have been able to find immediate playing time had she hit the transfer portal, but the thought never crossed her mind.

"I was never tempted,” Moore-McNeil said.

That prompted Parrish to jump in again.

"I would love to find somebody else who doesn't play her first two years, but is an all-conference player (at the same school),” Parrish said.

The All-Big Ten Second-Team All-Conference honors came after Moore-McNeil averaged 10.2 points per game, 5.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 2023-24. Her improved offensive efficiency — she shot a career-high 40.9% from 3-point range — came as she was asked to guard the opposing team’s best player on a nightly basis.

“I love her heart,” coach Teri Moren said, in February. “I love how hard she plays, and her teammates respect her because of the process. They've watched her sit; they've watched her work."

More: Indiana women's basketball has new look roster for 2024-25. Same team chemistry.

Indiana women’s basketball guard Chloe Moore-McNeil wants to go out on a high note

Moore-McNeil’s modest approach was on display in March when she made a brief social media post to announce she was coming back for a fifth season and take advantage of the extra year of eligibility the NCAA granted student-athletes in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

“Here to stay,” McNeil posted.

Indiana has gone 54-10 with her as the team's starting point guard over the last two seasons. The Hoosiers reached the Sweet 16 last year and came closer than anyone in the tournament to knocking out No. 1 overall seed South Carolina.

While Moore-McNeil remains soft-spoken with reporters, she developed a clear voice in the locker room last season that she used in pivotal moments — she spoke up after lopsided losses to Stanford and Iowa — to preserve IU's status as a contender.

Moore-McNeil's steady hand will be just as important in the months to come.

“She wants to lead this basketball team,” Moren said, on IU’s own media day. “She's a constant voice inside of practice and in our huddles. Whether that's wisdom, whether that's advice, whether that's encouragement, you know, she provides it all.”

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: IU women's basketball: Chloe Moore-McNeil's teammates spotlight her loyalty