WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – For the 30th time in program history, the Purdue women's basketball team is heading to the postseason. On Sunday night, the Boilermakers accepted a bid to play in the 2022 WNIT.
First round details of opponent, date, time and location will be announced Monday afternoon at 2 p.m. Ticket information will be released at that time.
The Boilermakers are back in the postseason for the first time since that 2018 WNIT. Purdue has 26 NCAA Tournament appearances and will make their fourth entry into the WNIT.
Purdue continues its streak of every senior class since 1988 playing in at least one postseason tournament during their careers.
Purdue's previous WNIT appearances came in 1988 (as the National Women's Invitational Tournament), 2010 and 2018. The 1988 appearance was the first postseason run in program history, falling in the championship game to DePaul. The Boilermakers made it to the third round of the 2018 tournament, before falling to the eventual champion Indiana.
Inheriting a team that won seven games last season, first year head coach Katie Gearlds guided the Boilermakers to a 16-14 overall march and 7-11 in the Big Ten this year. The nine-win improvement was the best by a Purdue coach in her first year and tied for the fourth best in program history.
The season saw Purdue pick up its first ranked win since the 2018-19 season, a 66-61 win over No. 17 Florida State. Transfers Jeanae Terry and Abbey Ellis earned All-Big Ten honorable mention laurels during their first campaign in West Lafayette. Terry etched her name into the record books, climbing up to third in single-season history with 173 assists. The junior is one of three players from the Big Ten in the last decade to amass over 170 assists and 200 rebounds in a season.
Ellis and Madison Layden, the other All-Big Ten honorable mention honoree from Purdue, lead the team with 11.6 points per game. Ellis has been efficient on the offensive end shooting 46% from the field and 87.4% at the line, the latter ranks 22nd in the nation. Layden is one of just six players nationally to have accumulated 130 rebounds (134), 80 assists (80), 60 three-pointers (63) and 45 steals (49).
Fueled by a career-high 76 3-pointers from Cassidy Hardin, the Boilermakers broke the program single-season 3-point marks for makes and attempts, going 230-of-709 on the year. Purdue is on of 28 teams across the country to have four players with at least 30 triples on the year (Hardin – 76, Layden – 63, Brooke Moore – 35, Ellis – 31).
Purdue's 3-point game has had a major uptick this season thanks to increased ball movement. The Boilermakers are 30th in the nation with 477 assists and 27th with 15.9 helpers per game. Terry ranks 14th and 13th in those individual categories, respectively.
The Boilermakers perimeter defense was the best in the Big Ten this season holding opponents to just 27.6% from distance with just 4.8 makes per game. Purdue held an opponent to six or fewer made 3-pointers in 21 games.