Purdue women's basketball report: Swanson, Poole intend to enter transfer portal
More departures leave the Boilermakers with six players on next year's roster before additions
Next year’s roster continues to change, with two more women’s basketball players planning to enter the transfer portal.
UPDATE: Sophie Swanson and Jordyn Poole are expected to join the transfer portal. On Tuesday afternoon, Poole announced her intentions.
It’s unclear when Swanson will make her announcement. The portal window is open for 30 days.
The latest developments bring the number of players in the portal or planning to submit their names to six. Only Madison Layden, who didn’t play last season and wasn’t part of the program, has put her name in the portal as a graduate transfer. Over the last couple of months, Layden has been preparing to use her final year of eligibility, whether it’s at Purdue or another program.
As of Tuesday morning, Amiyah and Mila Reynolds, Jayla Smith, Swanson, and Poole have yet to file the paperwork to start the process. Kira Reynolds, a 2025 signee and younger sister to Amiyah and Mila, has re-opened her recruitment and won’t join the program.
The Reynolds sisters and Smith were not expected to be part of next year’s team, and it’s unlikely Swanson and Poole will return to the program.
The loss of Swanson removes a 3-point shooting threat. She averaged 9.5 points during the Big Ten season and made a team-best 29 3-pointers against conference teams.
Swanson was part of coach Katie Gearlds’ 2022 recruiting class, which ESPNW ranked No. 21. However, only two remain from the five-player class — Rashunda Jones and McKenna Layden. Mary Ashley Stevenson (Stanford) and Emily Monson (Middle Tennessee State) transferred after their first seasons.
Poole’s freshman season didn’t start until mid-December after she dealt with a stress fracture in her shin throughout the offseason. The point guard from Fort Wayne Snider played in only eight games before suffering a high ankle sprain at Illinois. Poole didn’t return after the injury.
That leaves six players on next year’s roster without additions — Jones, McKenna Layden, Kendall Puryear, Lana McCarthy, and incoming freshmen Avery Gordon (Brownsburg) and Keona Douwstra (Netherlands).
Gearlds can offer plenty of playing time to portal targets, and revenue-sharing will begin later this year once the NCAA v. House settlement is approved in April. Now that the portal is open, there’s a clear picture of who’s available, and we’ll see how that matches up with the program's needs.
Here is my opinion on the portal— it will ruin sports— I hope down the road the NCAA does something to correct their mistakes—there are players making millions a year now playing sports in College— football and basketball — I think that every player should make the same amount—PERIOD!—not one penny paid more to a starter than a bench warmer— every thing needs to be equal across the board— I can hear Ohio State— Michigan—Alabama and others screaming from the rafters already..— what I’m saying — then we are on an even playing floor—- this is the only way it will work—- why do you think the NFL has a salary cap—- it keeps Dallas and others equal to the smaller teams— everyone has to spend the same amount of money— not a dime more—- make sense to me—- if you don’t agree— I would like to hear your comment— lay it on me—- I would like to hear another opinion— thank you—-ED
I said over two months ago that the portal was coming— and BOY!—did it arrive . I figured that some payers might leave because maybe they could see playing time would be hard to get with players in front of them—- but I think this is different— these players as far as I could see would be the core players this coming year—- so why does the grass look greener some where else?—- that is the question that every one including me would like to know. Maybe they could play closer to home—is it the environment ? When it happens on the football field- like the Quarterback room or the receiver room— there might be10 players trying to make the team where they can play— these players were almost guaranteed that they would get plenty of floor time..—- they would be starters and so on—so it doesn’t make sense to me— so we move on— it is up to Katie to put a competitive team on the floor and I know it is her top priority—-WE HAVE SOME SPOTS TO FILL— and getting Purdue players— that love Purdue and will give it their all to make the team better— Katie has her work cut out for but like the football team— we will be OK going forward—- I think she will be very good at bringing in the right players— thank you for reading this—Ed from Wanamaker