Purdue women's basketball adds reigning champion South Carolina to 2024-25 schedule

WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue women's basketball added defending NCAA champion South Carolina to its 2024-25 non-conference schedule, the school announced Wednesday.

The Boilermakers will play South Carolina at the Fort Myers Tip-Off on Saturday, Nov. 30 after playing Middle Tennessee on Thanksgiving in Suncoast Arena.

Purdue will also host Kentucky at Mackey Arena on Saturday, Dec. 14.

The Boilermakers finished 15-19 and made a run to the Great 8 of the WNIT Tournament before falling to Vermont to end the 2023-24 season.

Purdue has also released its Big Ten Conference opponents which include two matchups home and away against rival Indiana. The Boilermakers will host Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern and Wisconsin at Mackey Arena and travel to Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and Rutgers.

The newest west coast additions USC and UCLA will play Purdue at Mackey Arena while the Boilermakers will travel Washington.

More:Caitlyn Harper's leadership role post-ACL injury ignites Purdue women's basketball in WNIT

Key returners and freshman additions

Purdue adds key pieces headlined by ESPN Top 50 freshman point guard Jordyn Poole of Fort Wayne Snider while returning Big Ten Freshman First Team member Rashunda Jones, who averaged 7.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.

Sophomore Sophie Swanson averaged 7.1 points per game in 12.6 minutes last season while recovering from a torn ACL.

More:'No limitations': Purdue women's basketball freshman shares ACL recovery story

New Hampshire Gatorade Basketball and Volleyball Player of the Year Lana McCarthy and Blue Springs South High School of Missouri freshman Kendall Puryear also will join the Boilermakers.

Redshirt freshman Amiyah Reynolds joins her sister junior forward Mila Reynolds while senior guard Jayla Smith along with sophomore forward McKenna Layden and Alaina Harper rejoin the program.

Purdue loads up in transfer portal

Purdue women's basketball saw the departure of Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year Mary Ashley Stevenson.

More:Purdue women's basketball adds WAC Defensive Player of the Year through transfer portal

Stevenson transferred to Stanford, but the program was able to soften the blow with key additions from across the country. Purdue added Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year Destini Lombard and former UTEP guard Mahri Petree.

Purdue also added former Akron forward Reagan Bass, who averaged 16.4 points and 9.9 rebounds per game in 2024 along with two-time NAIA Player of the Year Ella Collier.

Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached atehanson@gannett.com, on Twitter at EthanAHansonand Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.