Purdue women's basketball inked its 2025 recruiting class on Wednesday, the first day of the National Signing Period, bringing in a trio of future Boilermakers officially. Katie Gearlds and company signed Brownsburg (Ind.) post Avery Gordon, South Bend Washington (Ind.) forward Kira Reynolds, and Netherlands guard Keona Douwstra to make up the class.

Head coach Katie Gearlds and assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Mark Stephens fielded questions about their shiny new class, and shared optimism for how each player would fit with the Boilermakers heading into next season.

Purdue's focus in the class was to become bigger, faster, and stronger. Check, check and check. Avery Gordon (6-foot-6) brings the size and strength, Kira Reynolds (6-foot-4) brings size and athleticism in the front court, and Keona Douwstra adds a strong, athletic guard for Kelly Komara.

"I think that's what we've done in Katie's third recruiting class here, just getting big, long athletes. Obviously, with the ability not only to defend, but being able to play at all three levels," Stephens said. "I think all of them are just great student athletes, come from great basketball families. I think all three of them will just continue to take our program in new heights," Stephens said.

The size is of particular note regarding Gordon and Reynolds, who will add to the current freshman duo of Lana McCarthy and Kendall Puryear this time next year. The lack of size and skill in the post has been glaring at times for the Boilermakers, but that is starting to change.

"You can't teach size. And I think we're going to have the opportunity to have one of the most talented front courts in the country, definitely one of the biggest," Gearlds said. "Something we haven't quite had since I've been here, you know. And all of them have something to learn and Kira and Avery will come in here with a great foundation of skill. I'm just super excited to get them both here."

Since arriving to West Lafayette, Katie Gearlds has been vocal regarding Purdue emphasis recruiting in-state talent, keeping them from leaving Indiana in the recruiting process. That desire and execution in that area continues for the Boilermakers with its 2025 class.

Gordon and Reynolds both reside in Indiana, being top five prospects in the state's loaded class this recruiting cycle. Reynolds dropped outside the top 100 on ESPN HoopGurlz, but remains a contender for Miss Basketball, while Gordon is one of just four players from Indiana in the top 100 this cycle.

The philosophy is one that has done wonders for the Boilermakers in the past.

"It's massive. You know, I think back to the time when, like, if you were from the state of Indiana, you went to Purdue -- You look back to Steph (White) and Kelly (Komara) and Katie (Douglas), and those classes that the best players ended up here," Gearlds said.

"I know we're a little bit off from competing for a National Championship, but I think that's ultimately the goal. And on that [1999] team, I think nine of the 12, or whatever it was, were from the state of Indiana. So it's been done here, and hopefully something we can replicate," Gearlds said.

If you thought Lana McCarthy brought since to the Boilermakers, wait until you see Avery Gordon in Mackey Arena. The 6-foot-6 post out of in-state Brownsburg offers an intriguing talent, one that could be a force in the Big Ten for years to come.

Gordon was the first commitment in the 2025 recruiting class for the Boilermakers, choosing Purdue over the likes of Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State, Mississippi State and others. She was the highest-rated recruit of the three future Boilermakers, being No. 58 overall and top-rated post in the class by ESPN HoopGurlz.

As a junior, Gordon averaged 22.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and shot 62% from the field for Brownsburg, cementing herself as one of the most productive players in the state.

Gordon is more of a traditional post scorer, excelling with her back to the basket, because of her size and soft touch in the paint. While there's nobody her size, she is constantly double or even triple-teamed down low, but that hasn't helped teams stop her at the high school and AAU level.

Stephens and Gearlds both have been pleased with her continued growth in conditioning and ability to move.

"Anything you throw near the rim. I think you can kind of see in some of her videos, she just catches it. She keeps the ball high. She actually is a fairly athletic kid for her size. She can run, she can defend, again, another elite shot blocker. You're talking about a kid on the post who can block shots," Stephens said.

"Avery's conditioning at her size, and her ability to move, and she has some of the softest hands, her ability to catch really bad passes, or be double team from the back or the front side. She can catch and score in traffic.

Gearlds sees Gordon as a special talent that has the ability to take over games in the paint, and thinks she's only scratching the surface, which is a scary sight for other Big Ten programs.

"When her body kind of catches up to her size, and she gets in the weight room a little bit more, and just gets natural strength from being here and training at this level, you know, it's different," Gearlds said.

Gordon is slated to slide right into minutes at the five alongside Lana McCarthy next season, giving the Boilermakers 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-6 to throw at opponents. That could very well go down as the tallest duo in program history, giving the Boilermakers options in the low post.

Pairing alongside Gordon in Purdue’s future front court is another post with a unique skill set in Kira Reynolds. At 6-foot-4, Reynolds can play inside or out, having the skills to sit out on the perimeter, while possessing the size and strength to play in the low post. It's a skill set that, again, the Boilermakers haven't seen too often.

"Kira is a unicorn, I guess they like to say. Her ability to play inside out, her athleticism," Stephens said. "Kira is dynamic. The way she can handle the ball at 6-4, she runs like a deer, an elite shot blocker, can switch one through five, can guard a guard, can guard a post player. The ceiling is really, really high for her," Stephens said.

Reynolds averaged 16.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 6.5 blocks per game as a junior for South Bend Washington last season, showcasing an array of talent that allows her to impact a game any way she pleases. Gearlds noticed that even more this summer.

"The biggest jump for me has just been her maturity and growth on the basketball floor. You know, I think she plays for an AAU program that wins a lot of games, and as a post player, doesn't see the ball much. But you could tell she was committed to blocking shots and rebounding," Gearlds said. "Her ability to impact winning by not touching the basketball is elite."

In watching her over the summer, one aspect of her game that is slept on is having the ability to facilitate from the post or the top of the key. There isn’t a pass Reynolds can’t make, or isn’t willing to make, which is rare for a player of her stature.

Reynolds is expected to start out at the four, taking advantage of the size and athleticism she has, where she can serve as the perfect compliment to either McCarthy or Gordon, having the ability to stretch the defensive and guard quicker posts on the other end of the floor. Mark Stephens also floated out the idea of Reynolds playing the three by the time she graduates from Purdue, but that remains to be seen.

Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that she is the third of the Reynolds clan to set their sights on West Lafayette, where she will join older sisters Amiyah and Mila next season.

Purdue fans have known Avery Gordon and Kira Reynolds for over a year at this point. But the third and final member, Keona Douwstra is a bit of an unknown. The overseas product was the final piece of the 2025 recruiting class puzzle for the Boilermakers, announcing her commitment just weeks before the National Signing Period began.

Purdue found Douwstra through a scouting service, as the 5-foot-9 guard resides in the Netherlands, and quickly fell in love with her game. Stephens then saw her play at the FIBA Championships, before Gearlds tagged along to see her play again, when the Boilermakers entered the mix. Douwstra chose Purdue over offers from UCF, Arkansas and others.

Douwstra brings a wealth of overseas experience with her to West Lafayette, playing in the FIBA Women's European Championships four times with the Netherlands. Across those four appearances, she is averaging 8.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

Not impressed by the numbers? Mark Stephens shares why those games are valuable.

"What's nice about her, she's used to playing against women. You know, I think sometimes it's undervalued, because you can look at her stats, averaging only eight points and six rebounds and three, but she's doing that against 22 and 23 and 24 and 25 year olds," Stephens said. "So where she might only be a freshman at our level, she's been playing junior and senior level competition."

Douwstra not only has the three-level scoring ability and the willingness to defend at a high level, but she has also shown to put in the work off the court that has stood out to Gearlds and Stephens.

"Keona is a competitor by all means of the word, you know. I think she's gonna come in here and compete every single second. Love to kind of have some competitors, but she's skilled with it too," Gearlds said.

"Her basketball IQ is extremely off the charts. I think that's what's going to help her, because even though she's going to be new to us, that's all she does, too. She plays one sport. And so it's not only just basketball all day 24/7, she loves to watch film," Stephens said.

Douwstra can play on or off the ball once she lands in West Lafayette, showing the ability to run an offense, or be aggressive when looking to score. The versatility matches up with her defensive prowess as well, which is where she will be able to make an early impact with the Boilermakers.

"I think what's nice for her is because she can play either one of the guard spots, 5-foot-9, maybe even 5-foot-10. She can dribble, pass and shoot. She can play at all three levels," Stephens said.