As Purdue women's basketball opens up their season against Purdue Fort Wayne tonight, they will be without four players, according to the Big Ten's availability report. None of which are surprises, as all missed time throughout the preseason and/or last week's exhibition win over Indiana Tech.

The most notable absentee of the bunch is freshman guard Jordyn Poole, who is dealing with a stress fracture from the summer. The talented rookie did not suit up during Purdue's overseas trip and has been slowly working her way back onto the court, but is expected to miss more time.

"Ninety percent still, you know, on the AlterG (treadmill) which is good. I think we want to do a couple weeks of it. Didn't really have any setbacks so far, taking a little bit more jump shots. So for someone who elevates so much on their jump shot, not having any setbacks, we're headed in the right direction still," Katie Gearlds said of Poole's progress yesterday.

Also sidelined with a foot issue is sophomore guard McKenna Layden. She initially suffered the injury last season, but it returned over the summer. Layden did not play in Purdue's exhibition game last week, but is closing in on a return soon.

As previously reported junior forwards Mila Reynolds and Alaina Harper are both out, which thrusts freshmen bigs Lana McCarthy and Kendall Puryear into an even bigger role to start their debuts campaigns in West Lafayette.