Purdue women's basketball report: Breaking down 2025 signing class
Coach Katie Gealrds and her staff signed three players Wednesday
What does the 2025 recruiting class bring to the program?
A lot of height – 6-foot-6 Avery Gordon from Brownsburg – and plenty of athletic ability in South Bend Washington star Kira Reynolds, who features versatility with her 6-4 frame. There’s 5-9 combo guard Keona Douwstra from The Netherlands, a three-level scorer who also brings strength.
Coach Katie Gearlds and assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Mark Stephens break down the three-member class:
OVERALL THOUGHTS
“Our goal is to continue to get bigger, faster, and stronger, and I think that's what we've done in Katie's third recruiting class,” Stephens said. “Just getting big, long athletes, with the ability not only to defend but being able to play at all three levels.”
Adding Gordon and Reynolds, paired with current freshmen Lana McCarty and Kendal Puryear, could give the program one of the biggest frontlines in the Big Ten and maybe the nation.
“We’re going to have one of the most talented frontcourts in the country, definitely one of the biggest,” Gearlds said. “It gives us some size inside. That’s something we haven't quite had since I've been here.”
AVERY GORDON
Gordon had a tremendous summer on the AAU circuit and in showcase events.
She dominated the paint, scored at will, played through double teams, and improved her passing skills from the block.
“I think Avery is a great passer,” Stephens said. “She has soft hands. Anything you throw near the rim - I think you can kind of see in some of her videos - she just catches it. She keeps the ball high. She’s actually a fairly athletic kid for her size. She can run. She can defend and is another elite shot blocker.”
Gordon is a four-year starter for the Bulldogs, leading the program to a sectional title last season and Hendrick County championships in 2022 and 2023. She averaged 22 points and 9.7 rebounds as a junior.
She surpassed the 1,000-point mark last season.
“Avery's conditioning at her size and her ability to move, and she has some of the softest hands and her ability to catch really bad passes,” Gearlds said. “When her body kind of catches up to her size, she gets in the weight room a little bit more, and she just gets natural strength from being here and training at this level.”
Courtesy: Purdue Athletic Communications
KIRA REYNOLDS
The Reynolds name is a popular one in the program right now.
Mila and Amiyah Reynolds are on the current roster, and Kira will join her sisters next season. Kira Reynolds can play multiple positions but also defend numerous spots.
“You can't call her a (power forward), you can't call her a (center), but you could call her a really good basketball player,” Stephens said.
Her biggest improvement is maturity.
“The biggest jump for me is her maturity and growth on the basketball floor,” Gearlds said. “She plays for an AAU program that wins a lot of games and doesn't see the ball much, but you could tell she was committed to blocking shots and rebounding.
“Maybe that's why she's not ranked as high in the national rankings, which is wild to me because her ability to impact winning by not touching the basketball is elite.”
MORE: Chad Krockover Photography | Dave Wegiel Photography | Mark Elsner Photography | Purdue women’s basketball weekly report
Stephens compared Reynolds to former Boilermaker Ae'Rianna Harris but more refined and polished on the offensive end. She’s notched seven triple-doubles through her first three seasons. Reynolds averaged 16.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, 6.5 blocked shots, 4.2 assists and 2.3 steals as a junior.
Reynolds grabbed an IHSAA state championship record 24 rebounds in 2022.
“I've known (Ae’Rianna) since the sixth grade, but Kira is dynamic,” Stephens said. “The way she can handle the ball at 6-4, and she runs like a deer. An elite shot blocker can switch one through five, can guard a guard, can guard a post player. The ceiling is really high for her.”
Courtesy: Purdue Athletic Communications
KEONA DOUWSTRA
Douwstra brings plenty of international experience to the Boilermakers. She’s played in three different age-group European Championships for The Netherlands.
Stephens said Douwstra is as “strong as an ox,” a required characteristic in the Big Ten.
Douwstra has faced strong competition throughout her career, which should allow her to see the floor early.
“She's used to playing against women,” Stephens said. “I think sometimes it's undervalued because you can look at her stats, but she's doing that against 22 and 23 and 24 and 25-year-olds, and that's when she's on the 16 and 17-(year-old teams).
“You're getting a chance to play and practice against bigger bodies. Where she might only be a freshman at our level, she's been playing junior and senior level competition.”
Douwstra is expected to bring 40-50 college credits from an academic standpoint and plans to major in pre-law. She plays one sport, and basketball is her sole focus.
She averaged 15 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists for Triple Threat in the Dutch Eredivisie. She shot 51.6% from the field and 50% from 3-point range.
“The experience on the international levels is sometimes a little different than what we know here,” Gearlds said. “Keona is a competitor by all means. I think she's going to come in here and compete every single second.
“I think on tape, when we first saw her, it was like, ‘Well, this kid can play.’ And then we went out to Phoenix and saw her play in person and she was more than we expected, especially on the defensive end for her to sit in the stance and guard was pretty tough.”