After Purdue women's basketball's defeat at the hands of Michigan on Sunday night, the final piece of the 2024 Big Ten Tournament has been locked in. At 12-17 overall and 5-13 in conference play, Katie Gearlds and the Boilermakers will be the 12th seed and are set to play Northwestern in next week's conference tournament in Minneapolis. It marks the worst finish in conference play for the Boilermakers under Gearlds, who had been 9th and 7th in the two years prior.

The Wildcats were one of just two schools to have a worse record in Big Ten play than the Boilermakers, finishing with a mark of 4-14. Purdue won the only meeting with Northwestern this season, which extended a three-game winning streak over Joe McKeown's squad.

Purdue has had success in the Big Ten Tournament, leading the conference in titles since the first playing in 1995 with nine. The next closest, and frontrunner to win this year's tournament is Iowa with five.

Last season, the Boilermakers used a thrilling victory over Wisconsin to notch a March Madness berth, but the hopes of another NCAA Tournament appearance are slim to none. Purdue will need to win the Big Ten Tournament in order to get into the Big Dance, which is a lot to ask considering Nebraska is awaiting the winner of Wednesday's matchup, which doesn't account for Iowa, Ohio State or Indiana potentially down the line.