WEST LAFAYETTE — Katie Gearlds and staff continue to build a roster they hope can return Purdue women’s basketball to prominence.
The latest additions bolster the Boilermaker backcourt with North Texas transfer Aysia Proctor and Montenegro product Jelena Bulajic, a transfer from South Florida.
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Proctor played two seasons at Texas-San Antonio, where she was a starter as a freshman and a key reserve as a sophomore before transferring to North Texas. She started the final 21 games for the Mean Green, and played 32 total, leading the team with 14.1 points per game and earning second team American Conference honors while shooting 39.3% from 3-point range.
Bulajic started two games for the Bulls as a freshman last season and averaged 4.7 points in 31 games overall. She comes with international experience, competing with for the Montenegro Senior National Team in the 2025 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket Qualifiers before joining South Florida.
They join recent portal additions guard Hannah Wickstrom (UC Riverside) and forward Averi Aaron (Louisiana Tech) as Purdue newcomers for 2026-27.
Purdue returnees include redshirt junior guard Taylor Henderson, sophomore center Avery Gordon, senior forward Saige Stahl and senior guard McKenna Layden.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 13: Jelena Bulajic #23 of the South Florida Bulls looks on before her team’s 2025 WBCA Challenge game against the Fairfield Stags at Michelob ULTRA Arena on November 13, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)
With an incoming freshman class of guard Keona Douwstra, Maya Zilbershlag and Katarina Sediva, the roster currently stands at 11, though not yet finalized as Purdue continues to seek additional portal help.
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Coming off a 13-17 season, Purdue has suffered three straight seasons with a losing record, its longest stretch since seven straight from 1978-79 through 1984-85. Since then, the Boilermakers had ended a season with a losing record just twice, with three Final Four appearances and a 1999 national championship, prior to the last three seasons.
Athletic director Mike Bobinski said in a roundtable interview with media members in January that Purdue’s women’s basketball program was at a disadvantage during the NIL era, citing a lack of funds from donors for the program. During the same sit down, Bobinski also pledged that he would supply “very adequate resources” towards women’s basketball from Purdue’s revenue share dollars.
Gearlds enters her sixth season as Purdue head coach and posted consecutive winning seasons in her first two years, including an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023. The Boilermakers are a combined 38-55 since that NCAA appearance.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue women’s basketball roster adds Aysia Proctor, Jelena Bulajic
