Zania Socka-Ngeumen Commits To Indiana Women’s Basketball

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s basketball got a commitment from a one-time five-star forward, a player that will begin to address the size and athleticism that Indiana women’s basketball coach Teri Moren wants to improve the Hoosiers.

Zania Socka-Nguemen, a 6-foot-3 forward, made her commitment on Saturday. She announced her commitment on her social media feeds on Saturday night. She will have three years of eligibility left.

Socka-Nguemen played one season at UCLA, part of a Final Four team that was also the runner-up in the Big Ten.

Socka-Nguemen played sparingly for the Bruins, primarily due to an injury that kept her out for two months. She averaged 1.5 points in 16 games. Playing time was difficult with forwards Timea Gardner, Janiah Barker and Angela Dugalic ahead of her in the UCLA rotation.

Socka-Nguemen brings plenty of upside to Bloomington. She was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of Sidwell Friends School in Maryland. Sidwell won a state championship in Maryland in 2023.

According to her UCLA bio, “The five-star forward is an athletic wing, comfortable with the ball in her hands and who can finish on both sides of the basket. She is a multi-positional big that moves her feet and looks to protect the rim on the defensive end, impacting the game with her length and effort.”

Socka-Nguemen played club basketball in the 2023 Nike Girls EYBL circuit for Team Durant 17U, according to UCLA’s bio. She averaged 14 points and 6.4 rebounds in 16 games tracked by Synergy Sports.

Socka-Nguemen has visited Indiana before. She considered Indiana during her high school recruitment before ultimately deciding on UCLA.

The addition of Socka-Nguemen continues the rebuilding process that Moren began after the conclusion of a season in which Indiana advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but also a season in which the Hoosiers were middle of the pack in the Big Ten.

Socka-Nguemen is the third player Indiana has signed out of the transfer portal. She joins guards Chloe Spreen and Phoenix Stotijn, who came from Alabama and Arkansas, respectively.

Indiana returns guards Shay Ciezki, Lenee Beaumont and Valentyna Kadlecova. Forwards Faith Wiseman and Sydney Fenn are also back.

Indiana lost several players to the transfer portal. Yarden Garzon, Indiana’s leading scorer in 2025, has already committed to Maryland. Rarely-used center Sharnecce Currie-Jelks transferred to Murray State.

Lexus Bargesser, Julianna LaMendola, Henna Sandvik and Lilly Meister are also in the portal and seeking their next destination.