Katie Gearlds Talks Future of Purdue WBB, Transfer Portal Priorities as Season Ends

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — When the final buzzer sounded inside Mackey Arena on Sunday afternoon, it marked the end of the Purdue women's basketball season. After a 77-57 loss at the hands of rival Indiana, the Boilermakers were locked out of a spot from the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis.

This wasn't the type of season anyone wanted in West Lafayette. Purdue played the nation's second-toughest schedule, battled numerous injuries and, for a brief period, illness that kept key players sidelined. The result was a 10-19 overall record and a 3-15 mark in conference play.

Right now, there's a sizable gap between where the program stands and what coach Katie Gearlds believes it can achieve. As soon as she walked off of Keady Court on Sunday, her focus shifted ahead to next season.

"I think that all starts tomorrow," Gearlds said, when asked about the next steps for the program. "You listen to (Purdue men's basketball coach) Matt (Painter) say some things, just about sitting in it and finding a way to get out of it. First, you've got to sit in it for awhile and look at ourselves and figure something out. Obviously, that starts with me. We've got to make sure we get the right people in here to elevate our program to help get it back. Is that going to happen miraculously? Probably not. I think I have a plan in place, I feel really good about it."

It's important to remember that, at its core, Purdue is still a young team. The Boilermakers had seven freshmen and sophomores on the roster this season. Sophomores Rashunda Jones and Sophie Swanson and freshman Kendall Puryear were among the top-five scorers on the team this season.

Gearlds is also bringing in a skilled recruiting class, which consists four-star players Kira Reynolds (South Bend, Ind.), Avery Gordon (Brownsburg, Ind.) and Keona Douwstra (Netherlands).

Reynolds stands 6-foot-4 and Gordon brings a 6-foot-6 frame to West Lafayette. With freshmen Lana McCarthy and Puryear and juniors Mila Reynolds and Alaina Harper, Purdue would have at least six players standing 6-foot-3 or taller on the roster.

Getting more size on the court has been a focus for Gearlds in the recruiting process.

"We just have to get bigger. You look at some of the teams on the West Coast, especially," Gearlds said. "Some powerful young women in our league and we've got to be able to handle that. Obviously, who we're bringing in next year, we're trying to get bigger. We've got to get a point guard and we have to get a little bit bigger around the perimeter to be able to handle some things."

As much optimism as there is surrounding Purdue's incoming 2025 class, there's still some areas that need to be addressed. Gearlds is placing an emphasis on bringing in someone who can orchestrate the offense, freeing up some of the shooters and playmakers on the roster.

"I think point guard is the No. 1 priority out of the portal," she said. "I love (Rashunda Jones) for everything that she is — I just told her I promise to find her a point guard so she can play off the ball. There's not a doubt in my mind that kid gave me everything she had."

Yes, Gearlds would love it if she could snap her fingers and the program would become a Big Ten contender overnight. That's not reality, though. She understands that program-building is a process, even if it's going to take a little longer than she initially expected.

Part of building a program is establishing a culture — something Gearlds said this year's team kickstarted. Moving forward, the Purdue staff is working hard at identifying the right people who build off this group's foundation and move the program forward.

"The most important thing is we've got to find people that are going to do it the Purdue way," Gearlds said. "We've got to make sure we're diligent in our homework and finding the right pieces that can elevate our program."

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