Purdue women's basketball welcomes transfer visitor
Coach Katie Gearlds and her staff are hosting another transfer target on Tuesday.
Rikki Harris, who played four seasons at Ohio State, is expected to visit Purdue, according to a source. Harris attended Indianapolis North Central before signing with the Buckeyes prior to the 2019-20 season.
The 5-foot-10 Harris missed her freshman season due to a shoulder injury but appeared in 117 games with 39 starts during the next four years. She has one year of eligibility remaining.
Harris played a key role in OSU's trips to the Elite Eight and Sweet 16 in 2022 and 2023, respectively. In those two seasons, she averaged at least 6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and collected 109 steals, showcasing her all-around game.
She can play a variety of positions, including point guard, and would give the Boilermakers another ballhandler to deal with pressure and breakdown defenses. Harris has demonstrated throughout her college career she can impact the game beyond scoring and has played well in a starting role and coming off the bench.
Harris was considered one of the top players in Indiana during her high school career and strongly considered the Boilermakers under former coach Sharon Versyp.
Gearlds expressed an interest in adding perimeter players with experience during the offseason.
Purdue has already signed Destini Lombard (Stephen F. Austin) and Mahri Petree (UTEP) out of the transfer portal. Lombard and Petree have appeared in a combined 161 games with 71 starts. If Harris joins the Boilermakers, the total number of games will increase to 278 with more than 100 starts.
Purdue’s returning players have appeared in a total of 307 games, including 44 starts, heading into next season.
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