Boilers Prepped for Exhibition Against Purdue Northwest

MONEY MADS
• In her final campaign for the Boilermakers after a year off, Madison Layden-Zay has the chance to go down as one of the all-time sharpshooters in Purdue history. 
• The fifth-year senior is 38 3-pointers away from the record of 244 career made triples by Karissa McLaughlin (2018-21), who was a teammate of Layden-Zay's in 2020-21. 
• Layden-Zay has averaged 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists over her career while shooting 37% from the floor and 35% from behind the arc. 
• Layden-Zay is one of five players in Purdue history to score 1,000 points and knock down 200 3-pointers, including Katie Gearlds. 
• Over her first four years of college, Layden-Zay was ne of 17 players nationally to drain 30 or more 3-pointers and dish out 50 assists in a season four times from 2021-24. 
• Already one of the best all-around performers in Purdue history, Layden-Zay is on the verge of becoming the sixth player in Big Ten history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds (76 away), 300 assists (12), 200 3-pointers and 50 blocks (2). The list includes Purdue's Katie Gearlds, Iowa's Caitlin Clark, Ohio State's Jaz Shelley, Indiana's Amanda Cahill and Michigan State's Tori Jankoska. 
• If she hits those marks and adds 41 steals to reach 200 for her career, she will be the 24th player in women's college basketball history to achive the feat and join Caitlin Clark as the second player to do it from the Big Ten. 

SHOOT BEFORE YOU TURN IT OVER
• Shoot before you turn it over -  the goal for Purdue's offense.
• Purdue has made seven or more triples 64 times since over the last five seasons under Gearlds. 
• Purdue has made 10 or more 3-pointers in 16 games in the Katie Gearlds era. Prior to her return, the Boilermakers tallied just 28 double-digit triple games from 2003 until 2021.
• The Boilermakers set a program high in the Gearlds era with a 72.7% clip (8-11) against Miami in 2024-25, good for the fourth highest clip in a game in program history. 
• The Boilermakers have not been shy about shooting the three during Katie Gearlds' time on the sideline, setting the Purdue season record for 3-pointers made and attempted in 2021-22. 
• Purdue made 200 or more 3-pointers in each of Gearlds' first three seasons. 

GONE PORTALING
• Head coach Katie Gearlds and her staff attacked the portal to welcome in six new faces out of the transfer portal. 
• Taylor Feldman was the first to sign with the Boilermakers out of Northern Arizona. The senior was a unanimous First Team All-Big Sky selection averaged 16.4 points with a 40% clip from the field and 36% mark from distance last season to lead the Lumberjacks to the second round of the WBIT. 
• Nya Smith joined the Boilermakers after an historic season at UNC Greensboro, earning the SoCon Freshman and Sixth Woman of the Year honors. She helped the Spartans win the SoCon and reach the NCAA Tournament. 
• Kiki Smith spent last season at Arkansas, where she knocked down 58 3-pointers. Prior to her time in Fayetteville, Smith won a NJCAA National Championship at Hutchinson College behind a 37-0 record and was tabbed the NJCAA DI Player of the Year and a First Team All-American.
• Saige Stahl, a former Indiana All-Star, played two years at Indiana State. A strong rebounder, Stahl's impact on the court comes from non-stat screens and hustle plays. 
• Tara Daye is a scrappy defender out of New Jersey who spent two seasons at St. John's and one at DePaul, where she was a teammate of Annesah Morrow. 
• Taylor Henderson arrived after playing two seasons at UNC Wilmington, where she was named to the CAA All-Rookie Team in 2023-24, and averaged over 6.0 rebounds per game in her two campaigns.  

DEFENSE FOR THE WIN
• Purdue is 32-4 when keeping a team to 60 points under head coach Katie Gearlds. 
• Opponents average under 68 points, while shooting under 39% from the field and under 30% from distance when Purdue wins over the last five seasons. 
• The Boilermakers are 38-17 when forcing 15 or more turnovers since 2021-22, while posting with 10 or more steals 27 times. 
• Purdue kept Northwestern to just 48 points in 2023-24, the fewest by a Big Ten team since 42 against Ohio State in 2018-19.