Purdue women's basketball report for Saturday: 3 things to know
The love of the game has returned for Mila Reynolds, Amiyah Reynolds progress and ticket availability for future home opponents Iowa and Indiana
Three things to know about the Purdue women’s basketball team, which plays at Maryland on Saturday:
BACK TO MARYLAND
Last season wasn’t an enjoyable experience for Mila Reynolds.
The graduate of South Bend Washington spent her freshman year at Maryland, appearing in 22 games, but the fun was zapped from her personality. After transferring to Purdue in the offseason, Reynolds is back to showcasing a smile on her face.
“Coach Katie (Gearlds) has really instilled my love for the game back in me,” Reynolds said. “I lost a little bit at Maryland.”
Although the 6-foot-3 forward is seeing limited minutes off the bench for the Boilermakers, the move closer to home and now being around her younger sister, Amiyah, rekindled her passion for the game.
“I lost a little motivation at Maryland,” she said. “I didn’t want to go to practice, I didn’t really want to do things like I used to. In high school, I wanted to go to practice every day. I was so excited even though I’ve been doing this for a decade.
“Now, I’m motivated more than ever, and I want to get better. I want to be a better player, a better person. The motivation has come back and the love of the game.”
Photo: Purdue’s Mila Reynolds looks for a rebound against Rutgers (Dave Wegiel Photography)
Returning to Maryland with the Boilermakers isn’t a huge deal since Reynolds played sparingly. She’s moved on and is trying to help Gearlds’ program reestablish itself as a contender in the Big Ten.
“I learned a lot about myself and my playing style,” she said. “I know it wasn’t the best fit and why would you want to stay somewhere that you don’t think is the best fit. You learn and move on.”
Reynolds played double-digit minutes three different times for the Terrapins and totaled 23 points and 19 rebounds over those 22 games. Reynolds, who is the second-leading scorer in South Bend Washington history behind Skylar Diggins, has appeared in eight games for the Boilermakers.
She converted a three-point play against Rutgers on Tuesday night and was part of a bench that produced 21 points in the victory. Gearlds is starting to lean on Reynolds, giving Purdue more of an inside presence, not only in the scoring department but also in rebounding.
Reynolds anticipated rediscovering her passion would take longer, but once her confidence returned, so did her love for the sport.
“My confidence played a big part in my love for the game,” she said. “I will say the confidence I’ve gotten being at Purdue has helped.”
RETURNING TO ACTION
Asked if Amiyah Reynolds is working out with the team, Gearlds quickly chimed in with a response.
“She’s so good,” Gearlds said with a smile. “She runs a lot of scout team for us. Yeah, she looks good.”
Those outside the program tend to forget about Amiyah and what she means to the future. Reynolds is redshirting after a foot injury sidelined the South Bend Washington graduate at the end of her senior season.
She was considered one of the top 50 players in the nation in the 2023 class and will have four years of eligibility starting in 2024-25. She’ll play with her older sister, Mila, and younger sister, Kira – a 2025 commitment for the Boilermakers – for one season.
But Amiyah is making progress from her injury. She is a member of the scout team and started going through halfcourt drills last week. Amiyah originally committed to Maryland before opting out of her letter of intent and joining Mila at Purdue.
“We’ve been able to put her in halfcourt, five-on-five stuff,” Gearlds said. “You look at the makeup of our roster and you look into the future of our program, it made the most sense (to redshirt). She’s not ready to play five-on-five full court but she looks really good in the halfcourt.”
It’s not important for Amiyah to run any of Purdue’s offense right now, instead focusing on giving her teammates the best looks in preparing for each game.
“She’s not running any of our stuff, but she runs the other team’s stuff really well,” Gearlds said. “If you talk to Amiyah, she knows exactly what we’re trying to do.”
PACKED HOUSE?
About 3,000 tickets remain for Wednesday’s game against No. 4 Iowa and Caitlin Clark at Mackey Arena. Clark and the Hawkeyes have been playing before sold-out crowds at home and on the road this season, including Friday night at Rutgers.
Members of the Indiana Fever’s coaching staff and other personnel are scheduled to attend Wednesday’s game. The Fever have the No. 1 pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft and Clark is the consensus top selection. She’s on pace to set the NCAA all-time scoring record in February.
Clark, though, has one more year of college eligibility if she elects to stay in school.
Purdue has sold about 8,000 tickets for the Jan. 21 matchup against Indiana.
SATURDAY’S GAME
Purdue (9-5, 2-1) at Maryland (10-4, 2-1)
Time: 4:30 p.m.
TV: BTN
Radio: BOB-FM