WEST LAFAYETTE ― Purdue women’s basketball freshman Avery Gordon lifted her arms up and scored with a flick of her wrist, sinking a shot off the glass for one of the highlights offered during the first practice of the 2025-26 season Thursday, June 19.
Purdue added six players from the transfer portal and have three returners, a fifth-year senior along with three freshmen.
All but two players participated in the first practice.
Purdue freshman guard Hila Karsh, a native of Israel, was unable to attend as she awaits to get her Visa along with Ben Gurion Airport being closed due to the recent conflict between Israel and Iran.
Along with Karsh, guard Keona Douwstra is competing for a spot on the Netherlands U/20 national team that will be playing in the FIBA U20 Women’s European Championship in Matosinhos, Portugal, and will arrive on campus in mid-August.
Junior guard McKenna Layden and sophomore forward Kendall Puryear were limited to low contact drills. Both players are rehabbing ankle injuries.
“I was excited to get them all on the court for the first time,” Purdue coach Katie Gearlds said. “We started in the weight room and it’s our camp week too, so it’s made for some long days for them, but they’ve really responded and had three really good days with (strength & conditioning coach) Chazz Calloway. … To see them interact with the kids and each other was incredible.”
Here are four things we learned from Purdue women’s basketball open practice Thursday.
Return of Lana McCarthy sets tone for post players
Leaner, faster and more experienced, McCarthy’s improved conditioning and cut appearance was on display at Cardinal Court.
McCarthy had her moments last season, being named Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week after she averaged 15 points and 7.5 rebounds and shot 61% from the floor in wins over Bellarmine and UT Arlington between Nov. 18-24.
McCarthy averaged 6.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, shot 47.1% and started 26 games in 2024-25.
“This past season it was a lot of learning the ropes, how to move and playing against some of the best post players in the country,” McCarthy said. “We had a long offseason, and I got a chance to work with (Gearlds) and extending my range so I’m not just a post player. I’m about to shoot trail 3s more consistently, work out of the midrange and the high post. We work on the details, slowing down and having more patience, and I think having a year of experience is going to help me a lot.”
Gearlds said McCarthy has been working on her game since spring.
“You see it in the way that her body has transformed,” Gearlds said. “She’s gotten stronger, leaner, quicker. She wanted to work on some things finishing around the basket, finishing and playing a little bit lower. We had a lot of time together ― her, myself and (Director of Basketball Operations) Amy Anthrop. We’ve worked on expanding her range. A lot of 1-on-1 time with that kid.”
Layden-Zay on target in return
Purdue fifth year senior Madison Layden-Zay looked comfortable after taking last season off.
“It’s great to get on the court with all these new faces,” Layden-Zay said. “I’m just great to be back here.”
She is 38 made 3-pointers from becoming the program’s career leader and will be looked at as one of the leaders for a Boilermakers roster that will carry 10 underclassmen.
“It’s just exciting to have new faces, new players and get to know them every single day,” Layden-Zay said. “So, it’ll be good to see their faces for the next few weeks during the summer and build off that every day.”
Elite 3-point shooter Smith makes presence felt
One of the big transfer portal landings for Purdue came with adding guard Kiki Smith.
Smith, a native of Topeka, came to Purdue with plenty of accolades.
She won a JUCO national championship at Hutchinson Community College, averaging 10.2 points and shooting 40.6% from 3-point range with 22 starts last season at Arkansas. Thursday was her first chance on the court with her new teammates.
“We were just seeing how each other are,” Smith said. “What types of shots we like to get up, where our hot spots are. Just little things like that as we go along.”
Smith noted how she felt the team was holding each other accountable during the first workouts.
“We’re really tight and we are making sure we are paying attention to the little things, picking each other up and just being there for each other,” Smith said. “That’s really helpful learning a new campus, new coaching staff and having a team as well and who are new here as well.”
Feldman draws comparisons to Abbey Ellis
The 5-foot-8 senior point guard transfer from Northern Arizona displayed quality speed, crossover dribble and change of direction that could provide matchup advantages for the Boilermakers in 2025-26.
Her speed and competitive attitude have been compared to 2024 graduate Abbey Ellis. Ellis ranks 25th all-time in double doubles, scored 1,182 career points at Purdue and scored 2,000 points during a college career that started at Cal Poly.
Feldman averaged 16.4 points, 3.9 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game last season and was named to the Big Sky Conference first team.
“We’re competitors,” Feldman said of the new team. “We are loud in the weight room. It’s loud, it’s talking, we’re really pushing each other three days in. It’s going to be a really good season and I’m really excited for it.”
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: Takeaways from Purdue women’s basketball open practice, its first of 2025-26 season
Reporting by Ethan Hanson, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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