Purdue women's basketball report: Notes, takeaways from Fan Day
High energy at Saturday's event, injury updates, looking at 2025 recruiting class and Sunday's secret scrimmage at Butler
It’s just before 9 a.m., and the Boilermakers are already operating at a high level to kick off Saturday’s Fan Day at Mackey Arena.
High energy. Quick movements. Bursts of speed. Sharp ball movement. Lots of communication.
“Today was one of our best practices, energy-wise,” said senior Reagan Bass, a transfer from Akron. “We were flowing from thing to thing to thing, and I think it was very game-like. We did a really good of keeping the energy up.”
Coach Katie Gearlds’ team also hit shots. From the 3-point line to inside the paint, the offense had a midseason rhythm to it. Gearlds wants to push the pace more and believes the Boilermakers have the ingredients to play that style with key additions on the perimeter.
Transfers Mahri Petree, Destini Lombard, Ella Collier, and even Bass should allow Purdue to play baseline-to-baseline and join Rashunda Jones, Sophie Swanson, and Amiyah Reynolds in pushing the pace.
Plenty of fastbreak opportunities were on display Saturday against the male practice players.
“Let’s push the pace,” Gearlds said. “It’s something we’ve wanted to do, but I think we’re a little bit more athletic on the wings. Our bigs have a true desire to rim run and bury people.”
Gearlds prefers the 24-second shot clock, a rule used in international competition because it allows for constant movement and puts pressure on defenses.
“We love it,” Gearlds said. “Even on makes, get the ball out and push. If we can get a good quality shot up in about seven, eight seconds, we love it. I think the game should be played fast and not playing defense for very long.”
The Boilermakers didn’t practice Friday, but the players were in the gym going through shooting drills and running plays.
“Just love that we’ve got a group that’s wanting and willing to get better every day,” Gearlds said.
INJURY UPDATES
• Forward Mila Reynolds is expected to be out for “months” after suffering a wrist injury in practice. She was wearing a brace on her right wrist on Saturday.
• Sophomore McKenna Layden missed time last season with a stress fracture in her foot, but the injury returned in the offseason. Gearlds said Layden is going through shooting drills and is close to returning.
• Freshman Jordy Poole continues to make progress in dealing with a stress fracture. She’s up to “80% on the AlterG (Treadmill)” and is involved in some shooting drills.
Poole practiced in the summer before the team went to Europe but has been sidelined for four months.
“We won’t throw her out too quickly,” Gearlds said. “It’s still a bone, and you have to make sure it doesn’t come back.”
(Lana McCarthy)
FIRST TIME EXPERIENCE
The transfers and freshmen participated in their first Fan Day event at Mackey Arena.
“It was fun. I liked it,” Bass said. “I enjoyed interacting with all the parents and all the fans. The little kids are adorable, asking for pictures, and they’ll be like … I always get, “you look like Caitlin Clark.” It’s fun to interact, and it makes you feel like part of the community.”
SUNDAY SCRIMMAGE
The Boilermakers will hold a “secret” scrimmage on Sunday at Butler. They faced the Bulldogs in last year’s scrimmage and again in the Postseason WNIT at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
“We’ve put together a little soft scout,” Gearlds said. “We want to make sure we can follow that but maybe change things up, not based on their personnel but more on who we are and what we want to do.”
2025 CLASS UPDATE
We had reported Kaelyn Carroll, one of the top prospects in the 2025 recruiting class, was expected to visit campus this weekend. The 6-foot-3 Carroll, who attends Tabor Academy in Massachusetts, canceled the trip and is now focused on Villanova, Kentucky, Minnesota, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech, which she visited this weekend.
The program continues to wait on a decision from Ohio standout Madison Parrish. Parrish, who attends Mason High School, officially visited Purdue the last weekend in August. The 5-11 combo guard is considering West Virginia, Michigan, Penn State, Wake Forest and Kentucky. It’s expected the decision will come down to Purdue and West Virginia.
Keona Douwstra, a 5-9 combo guard from the Netherlands, remains on the radar. She is scheduled to visit Purdue on Oct. 26-28.
Purdue has two commitments in the 2025 class - Brownsburg’s Avery Gordon and South Bend Washington’s Kira Reynolds. Gordon attended Saturday’s Fan Day.
BIG HONOR
Gearlds called her induction into the Leroy Keyes Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame “surreal.”
She was part of the eight-member class inducted on Friday afternoon at a banquet and recognized during the football game against Oregon. Her former coaches - Kristy Curry and Sharon Versyp - sent congratulatory text messages.
“It’s something I never really thought of or dreamed could happen,” Gearlds said. “I think of all the teammates that set screens for me and got me open. We had some really good teams back then, and I had some great teammates and coaches, and none of that happens without those guys.”