Purdue Women's Basketball Adds 2-Time NAIA Player of the Year Ella Collier via Transfer

Purdue has added a third player from the transfer portal. Fifth-year senior and former Marian University star Ella Collier has committed to the Boilers. She was a two-time NAIA National Player of the Year, averaging 19 points last season.

Dustin Schutte | May 13, 2024

A Nike Basketball with a Purdue logo sits on the court of Mackey Arena, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020 in / Nikos Frazier | Journal & Courier,

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Katie Gearlds continues to work hard in the transfer portal. On Thursday morning, the Purdue women's basketball team landed a commitment from Ella Collier, a two-time NAIA National Player of the Year at Marian University (Indianapolis).

Collier is a 6-foot guard who played at Marian for four seasons. She announced her decision to use her fifth year of eligibility at Purdue. Gearlds was the coach at Marian from 2013-21. Collier was a freshman during Geralds' last season with the program.

"Coming back for year 5 ... Boiler edition," Collier wrote on X. She is a native of Danville, Ind.

Coming back for year five… Boiler edition 🚂 pic.twitter.com/O4QnDyDdab
— ella collier (@ellacollierrr) May 2, 2024

Collier is coming off a season in which she averaged 19 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game. She finished the year making 53.5% of her field goal attempts and 40.3% of her shots from 3-point range. Collier was also a 96% free throw shooter.

Marian concluded the 2023-24 season with a 33-2 record. The Knights reached the quarterfinal round of the NAIA Tournament.

Collier is a four-time NAIA All-American selection. Her ability to shoot from anywhere on the court will be an asset for Geralds and the Boilermakers, coming off a 15-19 season last year.

Purdue has added three players via the transfer portal during the offseason. In addition to Collier, the Boilers have also received commitments from Destini Lombard (Stephen F. Austin) and Mahri Petree (UTEP).

Lombard was the WAC Defensive Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season. She averaged 10.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.6 steals per game last year.

Last season, Petree averaged 8.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game for the Miners. She appeared in 31 games, making 24 starts. Those numbers came after Petree missed all but two games of the 2022-23 season at UTEP.

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