Purdue gets bye in WNIT, to play Butler-Bowling Green winner

Despite falling in the Big Ten Tournament last week, Purdue women's basketball isn't finished with the 2023-24 campaign just yet. Katie Gearlds and the Boilermakers have formally accepted a bid to the WNIT to extend their season further into March.

It is just the fourth time in program history that Purdue will take part in the Women's National Invitational Tournament, the others being 2010, 2018 and 2021, and the second time under Gearlds. During those three WNIT appearances, the Boilermakers are 4-3, reaching the second weekend once, before losing to Indiana in 2018.

Other notable participants in the field include Minnesota, Wisconsin, Butler, Cincinnati, Providence, and Boise State, among others.

The Boilermakers received a first round bye in the tournament, where they will await the winner of Butler vs. Bowling Green, which is set to be played on Thursday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Purdue's date and time have yet to be determined, but will fall between March 23rd and March 26th.

Purdue is 3-0 all-time against the Bulldogs, but the two in-state programs have not played in 2007-08. Head coach Katie Gearlds was a part on Purdue's two other victories over Butler, averaging 15.0 points across two blowout wins.

Bowling Green has also been a source of success for the Boilermakers, who hold an 8-3 mark all-time against the MAC program. The last meeting was a 79-73 Purdue win in 2020, a year before Gearlds took over as head coach.

If Purdue were to make it out of its first game, the likes of Duquesne, Buffalo or Monmouth would greet them in the Super 16.