WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue women’s basketball started official practices earlier this week with echoing chatter.
Voices from numerous sources paired off each other at the beginning before the resolve began to soften. Missed shots and blown defensive assignments started to stiffen the energy at Cardinal Gymnasium. Senior transfer Destini Lombard noticed her teammates not being vocal and tried urging them on, as did sophomore returner Rashunda Jones.
But it was too late. Purdue women’s basketball coach Katie Gearlds, now in her fourth season, had seen enough.
“We have to be the team no one wants to play,” Gearlds said as she addressed them.
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Purdue ranked 268th in overall field goal defense with teams shooting 42.2% last year. The Boilermakers finished 15-19 and 12th in the Big Ten Conference.
Despite a rocky start to practice, an early look at the program suggests things are changing for the better. Playing four exhibition games in Spain and Portugal gave Purdue a first look at the team’s identity.
“We are a very competitive group,” sophomore guard Sophie Swanson said about what she learned playing in Europe. “I think compared to last year, there’s a different energy we have to us which it definitely translates into the game we’ll be playing.”
Games in Portugal and Spain were the first live-action redshirt freshman Amiyah Reynolds had seen in 17 months. Reynolds is now recovered from foot surgery and is slowing regaining her rhythm after sitting out last season.
“The pace is way different from high school to as a freshman was a big adjustment,” Reynolds said. “I was able to adjust to that in practice and watching.”
Reynolds is also getting her feel for the game back by getting to play alongside her South Bend Washington High School teammates Jones and older sister Mila.
“I think transition, us getting out and run she pushes the ball and pushes the pace like no other,” Jones said. “And turning that defense into offense is a big deal.”
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Purdue’s energy eventually picked up and became a showcase of what each player could contribute. Lombard can turn ball handlers with her quickness and understanding of space.
Mahri Petree creates space with her shifty movement and fakes off her pivot foot to score around the rim. Freshman 6-foot-4 center Lana McCarthy showed zero signs of fatigue during conditioning drills and can knock down contested shots from 15 feet. Reagan Bass can stretch the floor with her marksmanship from 3-point.
The overall practice was a glimpse of what the program could become while also putting an impetus on carrying a high energy throughout practice which will inevitably translate to games.
“I feel like we are a lot further than where we normally would be because we actually practiced this summer,” Gearlds said. “Practice isn’t a foreign concept to them. They know what to expect, they know what we are about to hit on. Obviously, you don’t want to peak in November but hopefully, we can start just a little bit higher than what we have the last few years.”
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@jconline.com, on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue women’s basketball prepares for 2024-25 season
