Purdue women’s basketball report: Breaking down 2025 signing class.
What does the 2025 recruiting class bring to the program?
What does the 2025 recruiting class bring to the program?
A lot of height – 6-foot-6 Avery Gordon from Brownsburg – and plenty of athletic ability in South Bend Washington star Kira Reynolds, who features versatility with her 6-4 frame. There’s 5-9 combo guard Keona Douwstra from The Netherlands, a three-level scorer who also brings strength.
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“Our goal is to continue to get bigger, faster, and stronger, and I think that’s what we’ve done in Katie’s third recruiting class,” Stephens said. “Just getting big, long athletes, with the ability not only to defend but being able to play at all three levels.”
Adding Gordon and Reynolds, paired with current freshmen Lana McCarty and Kendal Puryear, could give the program one of the biggest frontlines in the Big Ten and maybe the nation.
“We’re going to have one of the most talented frontcourts in the country, definitely one of the biggest,” Gearlds said. “It gives us some size inside. That’s something we haven’t quite had since I’ve been here.”
AVERY GORDON
Gordon had a tremendous summer on the AAU circuit and in showcase events.
She dominated the paint, scored at will, played through double teams, and improved her passing skills from the block.
“I think Avery is a great passer,” Stephens said. “She has soft hands. Anything you throw near the rim – I think you can kind of see in some of her videos – she just catches it. She keeps the ball high. She’s actually a fairly athletic kid for her size. She can run. She can defend and is another elite shot blocker.”
Gordon is a four-year starter for the Bulldogs, leading the program to a sectional title last season and Hendrick County championships in 2022 and 2023. She averaged 22 points and 9.7 rebounds as a junior.
She surpassed the 1,000-point mark last season.
“Avery’s conditioning at her size and her ability to move, and she has some of the softest hands and her ability to catch really bad passes,” Gearlds said. “When her body kind of catches up to her size, she gets in the weight room a little bit more, and she just gets natural strength from being here and training at this level.”
What does the 2025 recruiting class bring to the program?
A lot of height – 6-foot-6 Avery Gordon from Brownsburg – and plenty of athletic ability in South Bend Washington star Kira Reynolds, who features versatility with her 6-4 frame. There’s 5-9 combo guard Keona Douwstra from The Netherlands, a three-level scorer who also brings strength.
Coach Katie Gearlds and assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Mark Stephens break down the three-member class:
OVERALL THOUGHTS
“Our goal is to continue to get bigger, faster, and stronger, and I think that’s what we’ve done in Katie’s third recruiting class,” Stephens said. “Just getting big, long athletes, with the ability not only to defend but being able to play at all three levels.”
Adding Gordon and Reynolds, paired with current freshmen Lana McCarty and Kendal Puryear, could give the program one of the biggest frontlines in the Big Ten and maybe the nation.
“We’re going to have one of the most talented frontcourts in the country, definitely one of the biggest,” Gearlds said. “It gives us some size inside. That’s something we haven’t quite had since I’ve been here.”
KIRA REYNOLDS
The Reynolds name is a popular one in the program right now.
Mila and Amiyah Reynolds are on the current roster, and Kira will join her sisters next season. Kira Reynolds can play multiple positions but also defend numerous spots.
“You can’t call her a (power forward), you can’t call her a (center), but you could call her a really good basketball player,” Stephens said.
Her biggest improvement is maturity.
“The biggest jump for me is her maturity and growth on the basketball floor,” Gearlds said. “She plays for an AAU program that wins a lot of games and doesn’t see the ball much, but you could tell she was committed to blocking shots and rebounding.
“Maybe that’s why she’s not ranked as high in the national rankings, which is wild to me because her ability to impact winning by not touching the basketball is elite.”
