Purdue women's basketball report: The story behind Mahri Petree's shoes and more
The Boilermakers look to win their second straight Monday against Bellarmine
Why is Mahri Petree wearing different-colored shoes?
“Well, it’s kind of silly,” the transfer from UTEP said.
Petree was looking at a pair of LeBron’s, a shoe brand manufactured by Nike named after NBA megastar Lebron James. Fletcher Loyer, a guard on Purdue’s men’s team, has a pair, and Petree asked about the comfort level.
“He said he liked them, and that’s what won me over,” Petree said.
When Petree ordered the shoes, she wanted a black pair “because everybody wears black shoes at Purdue.”
When the shoes arrived, she removed the black one from the box and tried it on. She grabbed the second shoe, but it was white.
“I had to go through and see if it was a mistake or if they were black and white pair the whole time,” Petree said. “They come with one black, one white. I had no idea. I’m going to stick with it.”
The black shoe has “Equity” on the back in gold letters. The white has “Unity,” also in gold letters. Both shoes feature gold trim.
Petree plans to wear the shoes during home games but hasn’t decided whether to do it on the road.
“We’ll see about the road,” she said. “They’re pretty comfortable. I like them.”
SWANSON’S GROWTH
It’s not easy being a 3-point shooter.
The shots come and go. One game you can’t miss. The next, you can’t hit. Welcome to Sophie Swanson’s world.
She started 0 of 10 from beyond the arc but connected on her last three attempts on Thursday against IU Indy and finished with 17 points. Swanson will deal with more ups and downs from the 3-point shooting line.
“I still think she has a lot of growing to do,” Purdue coach Katie Gearlds said. “As a sophomore, I can remember in my own head expecting to make every shot and kind of wearing it, but Sophie's working hard on it. She's not alone. She reaches out for help and asks whether it's Ella (Collier) or me or whether it's outside help.”
Last season, Swanson leaned on her 3-point shooting until she became comfortable doing other things since she was coming off knee surgery. This year, she’s showcasing her whole arsenal of play-making skills to spark the offense.
“She's a 19-year-old kid that we put a lot on,” Gearlds said. “And then, at the same time, I think she understands her leash is just a little bit longer than it has been.
“She hit the 3, came down, and drove baseline, spin move, fade away. It's not the best shot, but it's something you live with, especially on nights when she gets it going.”
FOUL TROUBLE ADVICE
Reagan Bass has been there.
The veteran post player has battled foul trouble throughout her career and figured out ways to stay on the floor and avoid sitting on the bench. She can pass her knowledge to freshmen Lana McCarthy and Kendall Puryear, who are dealing with foul issues.
They’ve been whistled for a combined 22 fouls – 36% of the team’s total. They each picked up two fouls in the first half against Notre Dame and were regulated to the bench before halftime. They were in and out of Thursday’s game due to fouls.
“It definitely comes with working smarter, not harder sometimes, or doing your work early, especially in the post, and not letting them get that position that deep,” Bass said. “I think it's going to come a little bit in practice. When we have our practice guys, and have them go a little bit harder, push us a little bit more so we're more prepared for games.”
IN-STATE RECRUITS
From a high school recruiting standpoint, the Boilermakers have five players from Indiana.
Two other Indiana natives – Mila Reynolds and Ella Collier – are transfers. Gearlds and her staff will add two more players from inside the state next season when Brownsburg’s Avery Gordon and South Bend Washington’s Kira Reynolds join the program.
In-state recruiting will be a priority as long as Gearlds runs the Boilermakers. She reflects on Stephanie White, Kelly Komara, and Katie Douglas – all Indiana natives – signed with Purdue.
“It's massive,” Gearlds said. “I think back to the time if you were from the state of Indiana, you went to Purdue. And you look back to Steph and Kelly and Katie and those classes, the best players ended up here.”
Jordyn Poole attended Fort Wayne Snider and was the only Indiana player in this year’s freshmen class. The Boilermakers have extended several scholarship offers to in-state players in the 2026 and 2027 classes.
“It's important to keep them in our backyard, especially when there's enough talent around the state of Indiana to be successful,” Gearlds said. “I know we're a little bit away off from competing for a national championship, but I think that's ultimately the goal.”
NEXT FIVE GAMES
Monday: Bellarmine, 7 p.m.
Nov. 24: UT Arlington, 1 p.m.
Nov. 28: vs. Middle Tennessee State, 4:30 p.m. (Fort Myers, Fla.)
Nov. 30: vs. South Carolina, 11 a.m. (Fort Myers, Fla.)
Dec. 4: Maine, 7 p.m.