Mackenzie Holmes is still limping because of a knee injury. Lilly Meister is still limping because of an ankle injury.

Neither practiced through Wednesday following those physical calamities Sunday when the Indiana women’s basketball team ended the regular-season with a 71-54 victory over Maryland.

Nor does coach Teri Moren know if either Holmes nor Meister will be able to play when the Hoosiers open Big Ten Conference tournament play in Minneapolis Friday night.

Almost as big an unknown is who IU will play in that 9 p.m. game. The No. 3 seed with a double bye, the 24-4, nationally 12th ranked Hoosiers go right into the quarterfinals. They could meet Michigan, or another team that earned its way that far, either Rutgers or Minnesota, following early-tournament contests.

“They’re day-to-day,” Moren said of Holmes and Meister playing or sitting in street clothes. “If at any point it’s not safe to be out there, we won’t do it.”

Although anything can – and does – happen in post-season league tournaments, the Hoosiers are one of the big three of the Big Ten. Iowa, 26-4, is ranked third nationally and Ohio State, 25-4, is ranked fourth.

With their standing and performance, an invitation to the NCAA tournament seems assured. However, depending on how well they fare this week, the Hoosiers are angling to be anointed an early-round host, to play games at Assembly Hall where they are 15-0 this season.

“So important, so important,” Moren said.

Holmes, a 6-foot-3 graduate student from Gorham, Maine, is so important to IU. She averages 20.7 points a game, 7.1 rebounds, and her 67 percent shooting percentage leads the nation. Tuesday, Holmes, was named first-team All-Big Ten for the third time and was chosen for the league’s All-Defensive team.

Meister, a sophomore from Rochester, Minnesota, is also 6-3 and is Holmes’ main backup.

If neither can play, IU will call on sophomore Yarden Garzon to fill a low-post role. Garzon is just as tall as the others, but more often plays on the perimeter, shooting three-pointers and handling the ball. However, she regularly drills for the inside role and after both the others got hurt Sunday, she played a few minutes in the center.

“This isn’t new to Yarden,” Moren said. “She’s super smart. I hope we don’t have to go through it.”

Garzon, from Ra’anana, Israel, averages 11.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists and was chosen honorable mention all-league.

Moren said the Hoosiers have practiced what the lineup will look like if “we have to play small ball,” which essentially means using mostly the equivalent of an all-guard lineup.

Chloe Moore-McNeil, 5-11 from Greenfield, Tennessee, who has announced she will return for a fifth year, was chosen second-team all-league and joins Holmes on the first-team all-defensive team, while averaging 10.1 points and 4.9 assists per game.

Sara Scalia, 5-10, from Stillwater, Minnesota, a long-range sharpshooter, was selected first-team All-Big Ten after averaging 16.2 ppg. while setting a school record for three-pointers. Scalia is hitting 43.8 percent from three-point range.

Sydney Parrish, 6-2, another tall guard, from Fishers, Indiana, missed seven games with injury, but seems back to full strength and is averaging 10.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

The fifth starter would likely be sophomore guard Lexus Bargesser, 5-9, from Grass Lake, Michigan, who averages 4.3 points and 2.9 assists a game.

“We still have enough to get the job done,” said Moren if neither Holmes nor Meister can play in the league tournament.

Also, if Holmes, a first-team All-American last season, and Meister, can heal by the end of the league event she hopes selectors will realize IU is still worthy of hosting NCAA games.

“Our resume speaks for itself,” Moren said.