Former Boilers: Abbey Ellis Named WNBL 2024-25 Breakout Player of the Year
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Former Purdue women's basketball guard Abbey Ellis has enjoyed a lot of success in her first season in the WNBL's Townsville Fire. On Monday, the former Boilermaker was named the 2024-25 Breakout Player of the Year in the Australian basketball league.
This season, Ellis has averaged 9.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game for Townsville. She's shooting 40.6% from the floor and 35.1% from 3-point range.
As a result of Ellis' first-year success, the Fire are one of four teams competing for a WNBL championship over the next few weeks. The four teams that have locked up spots in the playoffs include the Townsville Fire, Bendigo Spirit, Perth Lynx and Sydney Flames.
Sky's the limit for Ellis! ⭐
— WNBL (@WNBL) February 17, 2025
Abbey Ellis has been named the WNBL 24/25 Betty Watson Breakout Player of the Year 👏#WeAreWNBL @TownsvilleFire pic.twitter.com/fZ1HwsVojT
The WNBL is an Australian women's basketball league that consists of eight teams. In July 2024, Ellis signed to play with the Fire.
Ellis spent two seasons at Cal Poly before transferring to Purdue ahead of the 2021-22 campaign. In her three years in West Lafayette, she averaged 12.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steals per game.
In her three seasons at Purdue, she helped guide the Boilermakers to two WNIT appearances and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Ellis ended her college career scoring 2,000 points, grabbing 561 rebounds, dishing out 358 assists and recording 203 steals.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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