New Purdue Forward Averi Aaron Bringing Toughness, Physicality to West Lafayette
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One conversation with Averi Aaron and you immediately understand why she was a top target for the Purdue women's basketball program this offseason. She has a wide-ranging skill set on the court, but what she prides herself on most is playing with unmatched physicality, toughness, and grit.
Typically, those individuals fit in quite well in West Lafayette.
Last Friday, Aaron was the first player from the transfer portal to commit to Purdue, doing so immediately after taking a visit to campus. She spent two years at Louisiana Tech before entering her name into the NCAA transfer portal.
Aaron had narrowed her list of options down to four schools: Purdue, Pitt, Grand Canyon and Houston. After meeting with coach Katie Gearlds and the staff, she knew it would be a perfect fit.
"I felt like I connected with the coaching staff really well. They were very welcoming and supportive," Aaron told Purdue Boilermakers On SI. "The school is well recognized academically, which will aid in my future. The style of play fits my game and vice versa, which is very exciting."
A 6-foot-1 junior forward, Aaron provides Purdue with good size on the interior. But what the Boilermakers really appreciate about her game is her versatility, matched with the ability to play through contact in the post.
Aaron is coming off a year in which she averaged 6.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game at Louisiana Tech. She can play with her back to the basket and use her post moves in the paint, but can also step out and knock down the three-ball. She shot just under 35% from behind the arc during her sophomore campaign.
"Coach G and her staff value my ability to stretch the floor inside and outside, and my toughness," Aaron said. "I can play rough in the paint as well as step out and play from the perimeter. I feel as though I can come in and help the team immediately by bringing a certain physicality and grit to the program, as well as versatility in post play."
Perhaps what Gearlds and the staff value most, though, is Aaron's experience on a successful Louisiana Tech program. Last season, the Lady Techsters went 26-7 and won the C-USA regular-season title by five games. When Aaron was a freshman, the program went 18-16.
On those teams, Aaron averaged more than 17 minutes per game in her two seasons with the program.
"I experienced a lot of minutes and a lot of wins at Lousiana Tech," she said.
Purdue needs Aaron's physicality on both ends
To be successful in the Big Ten, especially as a post player, you have to be willing to absorb and fight through contact. Aaron has demonstrated that ability in her first two seasons at Louisiana Tech. But that's not all she brings to the floor.
A majority of her work might be done with two feet in the painted area, but she can also move around the perimeter and knock down open shots. She's also showcased the ability to take defenders off the bounce.
"I think the strongest areas of my game are my footwork in the paint, my love for contact and physical play, my ability to pass and get my teammates good looks, and my three-point shooting," Aaron said.
Where Purdue can really utilize that physicality is on the boards, especially with forwards Lana McCarthy and Kendall Puryear gone. Last season, the Boilers averaged just 34.4 rebounds per game and owned only a plus-1.5 rebounding differential.
Aaron was a solid rebounder as a freshman at Louisiana Tech, but improved as she went into her sophomore season. The Boilermakers can utilize that skill fully, especially if it leads to more second-chance opportunities on the offensive end.
Aaron fills a major void on Purdue's roster and brings a strong skill set to her new program. As confident as she is to make a quick impact in West Lafayette, she knows she still has plenty of room to grow before the 2026-27 season tips off.
"I'm looking to grow every part of my game as much as a I can," she said.
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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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