UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State women’s basketball head coach Carolyn Kieger has big plans for the 2024-25 Lady Lions.
After a 22-win season in 2023-24 and a semifinal appearance in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, Kieger said she believes that the team she has assembled for this season has the potential to take the next step.
Kieger’s record here at Penn State strongly indicates that she knows what she is talking about.
Entering her fifth year as the head coach, Kieger has improved her win total every year she has been here. In 2019-20, the team had seven wins, nine in 2020-21, 11 in 2021-22, 14 in 2022-23 and 22 in 2023-24.
Last year was a breakthrough season for the Lions. They had their best record in a decade, made their first postseason appearance since 2018 and advanced into the WBIT Final Four.
Speaking at the women’s basketball media day on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at the Jordan Center, Kieger admitted that many important players from that team graduated, but this is a new era in college basketball. With transfers, five incoming freshmen and a solid core of returnees, Kieger said this team has a chance to match and exceed the successes of 2023-24.
“We have a lot of momentum to build upon from last year,” Kieger said. “We had a lot of offensive success, won 22 games and we were in the top 10 in three or four statistical categories. This year, we have a good blend and a really great balance between our returners, our transfers and our incoming freshmen. I like how our roster has played out.”
Those returners from last year’s team include 6-footgraduate student Alli Campbell from Bellwood-Antis High School, Jayla Oden, Moriah Murray and Grace Hall.
“Alli Campbell is healthy and looks better than ever, and she is really excited to lead this group,” Kieger said. “Jayla Oden represented our team at the Big Ten media day and highlighted the toughness that we want to play with this year.
“We also have Moriah Murray, who I believe is the best shooter in the Big Ten, and she came into her own as a vocal leader on the team in the offseason. And Grace Hall played a lot of minutes down the stretch for us last year in some pivotal stretches from a defensive end. So we’re excited for her to be back.”
The transfers include Gabby Elliott from Michigan State and Clemson, Tamera Johnson, in from playing four seasons at Louisiana Lafayette, guard Vitoria Santana, a four-year player from Eastern Arizona and 6-foot-6 redshirt sophomore Gracie Merkle who played the past two seasons at Bellarmine.
“Gracie led the country in field goal percentage two seasons ago, and I really think she is going to surprise a lot of people in the country,” Kieger said. “She has worked really hard to get her body ready for the rigors of the Big Ten. She has phenomenal hands and great footwork.
“Gabbie Elliott has worked herself back to be 100% for us and has a lot of experience playing at a high power-forward level.
“Tamara Johnson has a lot of versatility, rebounds incredibly well from her position, and Vitoria Santana was a junior college All-American, defensive player of the year, and a scorer at all three levels.”
In addition, the Lions welcomed what Kieger called a very strong freshman class that she said everyone was very excited about.
That group includes 6-1 forward Cam Rust from Wakefield, Rhode Island, guard Shaelyn Steele from Ashland, Kentucky, 6-2 forward Ariana Williams from Chicago, guard Talayah Walker from Odenton, Maryland and guard Jill Jekot from Cumberland Valley.
“I feel really good about where we are at,” Kieger added. “Obviously we haven’t played a game yet, but the team is working extremely hard. They have been doing a phenomenal job with their leadership and chemistry. They are ready to take this program to another step like we have done every year.”
Penn State will begin the new season on Monday, Nov. 4, at home against Bucknell with a 5 p.m. start, and then Canisius will come in on Thursday, Nov. 7, for a 6 p.m. game.
Those games will be followed by home games against Duquesne, Niagara and Monmouth.
The team’s Big Ten opener will be on Saturday, Dec. 7, at home against Indiana.
