Purdue women's basketball adds 2025 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year
WEST LAFAYETTE ― Purdue women's basketball added more depth at guard when former UNC Greensboro freshman Nya Smith announced her commitment to the Boilermakers on Sunday afternoon.
Smith made her announcement through her Instagram account. The soon-to-be sophomore helped the Spartans advance to the NCAA Tournament last season after finishing 25-7, beating Chattanooga 64-57 to capture the Southern Conference Tournament title.
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UNC Greensboro entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 16 seed and lost to the JuJu Watkins-led USC Trojans, 71-25.
Smith becomes the third Purdue addition from the transfer portal after former Arkansas standout Kiki Smith (no relation) joined Purdue on Saturday afternoon.
A native of Roswell, Georgia, Smith averaged 10.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and was named the Southern Conference Sixth Woman of the Year and Freshman of the Year to end the 2024-25 season.
It's been an active Easter weekend for Purdue with the addition of both Smith guards.
Mar 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UNC Greensboro Spartans guard Nya Smith (22) is double teams by USC Trojans guards JuJu Watkins (12) and Kennedy Smith (11) during the second quarter at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
The Smith from Topeka, Kansas and former Razorback shot 40.6% from 3-point range, started in 22 of 27 games during her sophomore year with the Razorbacks.
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Nya and Kiki Smith are joined by Purdue's first transfer portal arrival, Taylor Feldman from Northern Arizona. Feldman averaged 16.4 points, 3.9 assists and three rebounds per game, including 40.9% from the field, 38.3% from 3-point range and 80.4% from the free throw line and was named All Big Sky Conference first team as a junior last season.
The Boilermakers will also the return of Madison Layden-Zay, who starred from 2020-21 to 2023-24 before taking a year off last season. Layden-Zay is eligible to play a grad season having with the Boilermakers through COVID.
More: Purdue women's basketball guard Madison Layden fueled by family and closure
Purdue will also have experience in the paint as well with the returns of incoming sophomore forwards Lana McCarthy and Kendall Puryear. Puryear averaged 7.2 points and 3.7 rebounds last season primarily off the bench with one start, while McCarthy averaged 6.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in 26 starts.
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Junior guard McKenna Layden is the lone returning guard for Purdue from 2024-25 after making nine starts, averaging 4.6 points and 4.2 rebounds.
Along with the transfer portal talent and reemergence of Layden-Zay sees the incoming 2025 class led by 4-star recruits guard Keona Douwstra of Netherlands and 6-foot-7 center Avery Gordon.
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@jconline.com, on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson .
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue women's basketball receives former UNC Greensboro guard Nya Smith
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