WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue women's basketball head coach Katie Gearlds completed her third set of sisters when she officially unveiled the addition of transfer Alaina Harper to the Boilermakers' roster. The newest Harper is the younger sister of sixth-year senior Caitlyn Harper.
The younger Harper will arrive in West Lafayette as a sophomore following a freshman campaign at Grand Canyon.
"We couldn't be more exited for Alaina to join our team," Gearlds said. "When given the opportunity last season, she was able to help a really good Grand Canyon Team. Her work ethic and team-player mentality is a carbon copy of Caitlyn. She's ready to create our own story, and we can't wait to see how it unfolds here with us."
Prior to the 2023-24 season, the Boilermakers never had a set of sisters suit up on the same roster. The Harpers, who have never played together on the same team, mark the third tandem on next year's roster. McKenna Layden signed her National Letter of Intent to play at Purdue in November and join her senior sister Madison. Gearlds added Maryland transfer Mila Reynolds alongside her recently signed sister Amiyah Reynolds.
The Boilermakers' roster will now feature eight newcomers next season. Gearlds' first true signing class of five recruits was tabbed No. 21 by ESPNW in November, before the addition of Alaina Harper and the top-60 ranked Reynolds sisters.
ALAINA HARPER
6-3 | F | Hartland, Wisc. | Arrowhead | Maryland
2023-24 / AS A SOPHOMORE
• Transferred to Purdue in May of 2023
• Will play on the same team with her sister Caitlyn for the first time
2022-23 / AS A FRESHMAN (GRAND CANYON)
• Appeared in 29 games with a pair of starts
• Averaged 5.0 points and 2.2 rebounds in 11.6 minutes of action
• Shot 56.9% from the field and went 3-of-5 from behind the arc
• Scored in double figures in five games
• Named Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week after averaging 12 points, 3.0 rebounds and shooting 76.9% from the field
• Tallied a career-high 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting with one triple in 17 minutes against Lindenwood (Nov. 26)
• Missed a double-double by two rebounds in a 15-point performance against Columbia (Dec. 11)
• Closed season with three straight games in double figures, averaging 12.3 points and shooting 53.8% from the field
NOTABLE
• No. 6 player in Wisconsin by Prep Girls Hoops
• Garnered back-to-back WBCA Division I First Team All-State honors as a junior and senior
• Tabbed Classic 8 First Team All-Conference as a junior and senior
• Earned AP All-State Third Team honors as a senior, following an honorable mention nod as a junior
• Tabbed the 2022 Wisconsin Sports Network as the state's top post player
• Two-time Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel Southeast Wisconsin All-Area Second Team
• 2021 USA Today High School Sports Awards (Milwaukee) nominee
PREP
• Played four years at Arrowhead High School in Harland, Wisc.
Attended Arrowhead High School in Hartland, Wisc.
• Posted a 73-31 record over four seasons for the Warhawks
• Helped Arrowhead to a 21-6 record as a junior, averaging 14.8 points, 14.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game
• Shot 56.0% from the field and 73.0% from the free throw line
• Broke the single-season rebounding record with 378 rebounds junior year, surpassing the previous mark of 244
• Earned a 4.0 cumulative GPA
PERSONAL
• Full Name: Alaina Claire Harper
• Birthdate: Dec. 4, 2003
• Daughter of Dale and Rhonda Harper
• Has one sibling, Caitlyn, a sixth-year senior at Purdue
• Her dad, Dale, played men's basketball at Bemidji State University
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