Women's Basketball: Three Boilermakers Announce Return For 2023-24
Purdue women’s basketball received a boost ahead of next season when a trio of Boilermakers announced they would return for their final eligibility in 2023-24. After losing two starters, Lasha Petree and Cassidy Hardin, this off-season, Purdue retains the three other members of the starting unit.
Abbey Ellis and Caitlyn Harper took to social media to share the news earlier this week and Jeanae Terry followed suit on Friday. The news was expected as all three had one more year of eligibility, but now they have each made their intentions public.
Ellis and Terry will return to lead the Purdue backcourt after a successful 2022-2023 campaign. Ellis was second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.2 points per game while shooting 47% from the field and 37% from three-point range. The Aussie comes back as the leading scorer and top three-point shooter going into next season. Ellis will be the top-scoring option in the backcourt for Katie Gearlds.
The do-it-all guard Jeanae Terry will also come back to compliment the scoring guard, Ellis. Terry led the Boilermakers in rebounds, assists, and steals last season. The Illinois transfer was also named Second Team All-Big Ten and was a member of the All-Defensive Team. The swiss army knife will remain one of the leaders of the Boilermakers heading into 2023-24.
Joining the backcourt tandem is soon-to-be sixth-year forward Caitlyn Harper. Last off-season, Harper transferred to Purdue from Cal Baptist, where she was the 2022 WAC Player of the Year. During her first season in West Lafayette, the standout forward scored 10.3 points and grabbed 3.9 rebounds per game. Her scoring mark was third on the team behind Lasha Petree and Abbey Ellis.
She will look to retain her starting role with the Boilermakers in 2023-24, as Mary Ashley Groot and Ava Learn are projected to be the only other forwards on the roster.
The trio of Terry, Ellis, and Harper are set to headline the returning cast for Katie Gearlds heading into next season, along with wings Madison Layden, Jayla Smith, and the group of five incoming freshmen.