With a seven-word Tweet and a three-word message on a poster, Ali Patberg sent Indiana University women’s basketball fans into a frenzy Wednesday night.
“See you next season Hoosiers! Unfinished business” read the Tweet above a red poster with Patberg in her uniform superimposed over the words “NOT DONE YET”
Patberg, who helped lead the Hoosiers to their best season in school history that ended in a loss to Arizona in the Elite Eight on Monday, is returning for her seventh year of college and her fifth at IU. The NCAA granted this year’s athletes an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It has been my lifelong dream to play basketball at the collegiate level,” Patberg said in a statement. “My time at Indiana has been nothing short of special — full of incredible people, places, and memories. I want to thank all the people who have been a special part of my journey. This team still has unfinished business and is full of incredible coaches, teammates and staff that I can’t wait continue pursue our goals with. I’m excited to say I will be back to Indiana for the 2021-22 season. GO HOOSIERS!”
This season, Patberg averaged 14.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists in earning second-team All-Big Ten honors. The senior from Columbus North helped lead the Hoosiers to a 21-6 record and the first Elite Eight appearance in school history.
But while IU was enjoying its best season ever, the Hoosiers did it in front of few fans because of COVID limitations.
“She was a little disappointed at senior day and torn up that there weren’t a lot of people there,” said her father Ron Patberg. “I think she started thinking about coming back then because that’s not how she wanted to leave IU. I think that’s been the most disappointing things for her — that there weren’t many fans. She likes playing at IU, and she wants to play in front of the fans.”
Next year will be Ali’s seventh in college. She spent her first two years at Notre Dame, the first of which resulted in a redshirt year after tearing an ACL in preseason practice. She transferred to IU in 2017, but had to sit out her first year there because of NCAA transfer rules. Early in the 2019-20 season, she was granted a sixth season of eligibility because of the redshirt and transfer years, and she used that this year while working on her master’s degree.
At least one mock drafts had Ali going in the second round of this year’s WNBA Draft. Ron said she also had talked to a couple of European teams about playing there.
“Because of COVID, the money’s not been that great over there,” Ron said. “This gives her one more year and allows her to improve her game. Wanting to be a coach, it’s not going to hurt her. It’s going to help her long-term.”
With the decision, the Hoosiers now are expecting to return all five starters next season. Senior Jaelynn Penn, who had been a starter for parts of four seasons before opting out midway through this year, announced Wednesday that she is transferring.
Ron Patberg said he tried to make sure Ali didn’t worry herself about her decision until the end of the season.
“It’s good for her,” Ron said. “She’s been doing it awhile. But she knows she has to get better if she wants to play professionally. She’s playing for some of the best coaches in the country, and they’re going to make her better. She wants to leave a legacy, not just about her, but about IU women’s basketball.”
