“She’s sort of a rock star here at Indiana”: Liz Honegger’s work invaluable for Hoosiers

Nov 18, 2022 - 3:17 AM

During warmups prior to Indiana women’s basketball’s matchup with Bowling Green, Liz Honegger walked along the sideline and over to the Falcons’ bench. There she received hellos, hugs and well wishes from the Bowling Green staff.

Indiana’s director of basketball operations is wearing Hoosiers crimson now, but her collegiate career began in Bowling Green Falcons orange.

Not unlike head coach Teri Moren, Honegger’s story started in the hallowed gyms that make up Indiana high school basketball. Her accolades at Lafayette Jefferson High School include a first team all-state nod and an Indiana All-Star selection.

Honegger then took her talents to Bowling Green, beginning a highly decorated career under then-Falcons head coach Curt Miller, Moren’s predecessor at Indiana and current head coach of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.

Of a possible 128 games for the Falcons, Honegger started in 127. She finished her Bowling Green career as the program’s all-time leader in made 3-point field goals and blocks, the only time a player in the history of NCAA Division-I women’s basketball has held both records at a program.

Honegger’s senior year with Bowling Green, the 2006-07 season, ended with a 31-4 record and a run to the Sweet Sixteen with victories over Oklahoma State and Vanderbilt. It was the first time any MAC program had appeared in the women’s Sweet Sixteen.

Honegger was inducted into Bowling Green’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.

“She was a great college player at Bowling Green, something that she has a tremendous amount of pride in,” Moren said.

Prior to her time in Bloomington, Honegger worked as an assistant at West Virginia University Institute of Technology and as a volunteer with the Indiana High School All-Star team.

With the current season being her 11th with Indiana, Honegger’s tenure in Bloomington precedes that of Moren by two years, having been brought aboard by Miller. Honegger has been invaluable since Moren’s arrival, the latter said, doubling as both a great colleague and a great friend.

“Liz is about this program, Liz is about our players, Liz is about people,” Moren said. “She’s sort of a rock star here at Indiana.”

Essentially a catch-all for Indiana, Moren said Honegger takes care of just about everyone from players, coaches and support staff. With most of Honegger’s work being out of the public eye, hers is not a name you’ll hear much when outside sources discuss the success the Hoosiers have found in recent years.

As such, Indiana’s coaches and players are quick to give her that credit when the opportunity arises.

Grace Berger, in her fifth year with the Hoosiers, said Honegger doesn’t get the praise she’s been due for the work she’s done. She’s all about the players and making sure they have a good experience at Indiana, Berger said.

“She means a lot to us, whether she gets the credit for it, that she deserves, or not,” Berger said.

You may not hear Honegger’s name when Indiana’s recent success comes up, but she’s been there, worked and contributed to it every step of the way.