Rutgers University
Purdue
Women's Basketball Celebrates Annual Play4Kay Game Against Purdue
Feb 07 | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers women's basketball team (9-14, 1-11 B1G) will host Purdue (8-14, 1-10 B1G) for its annual Play4Kay game on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 1 p.m. The game will be streamed on B1G+ as well as available to listen on Fox Sports NJ.
Sunday's game is brought to you by RWJBarnabas Health and the entire 2024-25 Rutgers women's basketball season is presented by Prudential.
Play4Kay
Through Play4Kay, former NC State head coach Kay Yow saw a way to bring communities together and honor cancer warriors in the fight against ALL cancers affecting women. One woman is diagnosed with cancer every minute and Rutgers University, along with head coach Coquese Washington, are united in the fight against all cancers affecting women.
The Scarlet Knights will celebrate cancer survivors and warriors throughout the game and during a special halftime ceremony. Survivors can still claim up to four free tickets HERE.
Rutgers will wear special pink uniforms during the contest against the Boilermakers and all fans are encouraged to wear pink as well. In addition, there will be postgame free throws for kids 12 and under.
Fans can donate to the 2025 Play4Kay Pledge It Playoff by making a pledge for each free throw made during the month of February or by making a one-time flat donation!
Fans can also donate to the Rutgers Women's Basketball Cancer Support Game Plan is dedicated to providing funding to assist in the cost of cancer care of underserved female patients across the State of New Jersey. This support may include transportation to and from appointments, co-pays for appointments, medication assistance, support services, genetic counseling and other services not covered by insurance.
Last Time Out
The Scarlet Knights couldn't get past Indiana (15-7, 7-4 B1G) on the road, falling 81-60 on the road.
Destiny Adams led scoring for Rutgers with 24 points in addition to nine rebounds Kiyomi McMiller also reached double digits with 14 points.
JoJo Lacey led the team off the boards with 11 rebounds, her second performance of the season with 10+ boards.
It Is Her Destiny
Senior Destiny Adams continues to amaze through the second half of Big Ten play. Her efforts were recognized as she was named to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association 2024-25 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Midseason Watch List Monday afternoon.
Adams is currently averaging 17.8 points to rank fifth in the Big Ten and 9.9 rebounds to rank fourth. Her 2.6 steals per game pace the conference, as well.
She has reached double-digits in 20 games this season, including the last 11 outings. She has accumulated four 20-point games and three with 30 or more points.
The Manchester, New Jersey product became the 38th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point milestone with her performance against Minnesota (Jan. 8). With 1,129 points she currently ranks 31st on the all-time scoring list.
Following the first week of the season, Adams earned the first Big Ten Player of the Week (Nov. 11) honor in her career in addition to being selected as one of the USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Players of the Week and an AP Player of the Week Honorable Mention.
The start of the season was highlighted by her historic performance over NJIT (Nov. 10), when she recorded a career best 36 points and 22-rebound double-double. Besides her 2024 Big Ten Tournament performance (33 points, 24 rebounds), she is the first player in program history with 30+ points and 20+ rebounds in a regular season game in over 12 seasons.
Adams' 36 points ties a Jersey Mike's Arena record that was previously set by Arella Guirantes in 2020. She also tied for 8th for the most points in a single game in program history, along with Guirantes and Caroline DeRoose (1994).
In addition, Adams had 30 points and 15 boards in the game prior versus Cornell (Nov. 7), to make her the first Scarlet Knight since Sue Wicks (1988) to net back-to-back 30+ point games.
B1G Freshman on Campus
Kiyomi McMiller has made an immediate impact since arriving "On The Banks" not only for Rutgers, but in the Big Ten.
She is currently the second-highest scoring freshman in the country with 18.7 points per game and ranks fourth in the Big Ten.
McMiller has reached 30+ points on three occasions, again, among the top freshman in the country. In addition, she has netted 20 or more points in seven outings this season and double digits in all but three games.
The Silver Spring, Maryland native became the first Scarlet Knight since 2020 to win back-to-back Big Ten Weekly awards as she was named the conference Freshman of the Week on Dec. 16 and Dec. 23.
She ranks second on the team with three double-doubles but paces the team in three-pointers (42) and assists (61).
Successful Alumni
Rutgers women's basketball celebrated three of its most distinguished alums during the offseason as Kahleah Copper earned a gold medal in the 2024 Olympic Games with Team USA, Benijah Laney-Hamilton was crowned the 2024 WNBA Champion with the New York Liberty and Cappie Pondexter was named to be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame as a part of the 2025 Class.
Copper helped Team USA to its eighth straight gold medal and her first, with a 67-66 win over France on August 11. Copper came up huge off the bench in the gold medal game with 12 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter to help secure the victory.
Laney-Hamilton also made history with the Liberty, bringing the first WNBA Championship to New York. She played a huge role in game two of the series, netting 20 points in addition to two rebounds and two assists to give the Liberty its first victory of the series. In addition, she scored at least two points in the other four games.
The 5-9 guard who played for Rutgers from 2001-06, Pondexter was the fourth Scarlet Knight in women's basketball history to be named a First Team Kodak/WBCA All-American as well as the unanimous choice as the 2006 BIG EAST Player of the Year and the first player in league history to be named to the All-BIG EAST First Team four times during her career. Pondexter is a two-time WNBA champion (Phoenix Mercury '07 & `09), a seven-time WNBA All-Star and a three-time All-WNBA First Team selection.
The Scarlet Knights Against the Top-25
Once again, Rutgers will face a loaded schedule, featuring a tough Big Ten slate. As of Feb. 4, RU has five opponents on its schedule ranked in either or both the AP and WBCA USA Today poll and four teams receiving votes.
- No. 1/1 UCLA
- No. 7/7 USC
- No. 8/8 Ohio State
- No. 16/15 Maryland
- No. 20/20 Michigan State
- RV/RV Illinois
- RV/-- Michigan
- RV/-- Minnesota
- --/RV Iowa
From Dec. 29 to Jan. 23, RU faced eight consecutive opponents who were ranked or receiving votes between the two poles.
Returning to The Banks
RU returns seven Scarlet Knights to the squad in Destiny Adams, Lisa Thompson, Mya Petticord, Antonia Bates, Awa Sidibe, Kennedy Brandt and Chyna Cornwell.
During the 2023-24 campaign, this group combined for 125 games started, 1,267 points and 721 rebounds.
Welcoming the Newcomers
Head coach Coquese Washington added two transfers, a pair of freshmen and one walk-on in the offseason.
Graduate student JoJo Lacey joined the team from Boston College and sophomore Janae Walker from Kentucky.
As a senior, Lacey averaged 8.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. She reached 10+ points in nine outings including two games with 20+ and a career-high 23-point performance against North Carolina (Feb. 29).
During her rookie season with the Wildcats, Walker played in 28 games and made one start. She netted a season-high six points and three field goals at No. 18/18 Louisville (Dec. 10), while also grabbing four rebounds three times. Walker led UK in blocks four times during the season.
Rookies Kiyomi McMiller and Zachara Perkins came "On The Banks" over the summer and walk-on junior Deja Young this fall.
A five-star recruit, McMiller was ranked No. 22 in her recruiting class by espnW. She played the last two seasons of her high school career at Life Center Academy in Burlington, New Jersey, averaging 30.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.8 steals per game during her senior campaign.
McMiller leaves high school with an impressive resume over a three-year span, scoring 2,015 points, 437 rebounds, 363 assists and 231 steals in 70 games.
During Perkins' 2022-23 season at Summercreek High School in Houston, Texas, she led her team to both an Area and a Bi-District Championship in addition to the Region 3 Finals. A consistent double-double type player, she averaged 18.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game through her junior season.
Perkins was named to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) All-State and All-Region teams. In addition, she was selected as the Newcomer of the Year and to the All-Academic Team.
Prior to Young arriving "On The Banks" she served as a walk-on for the Hampton women's basketball team from the fall of 2022 to the spring of 2023. During the campaign she helped the Pirates to a total of 12 wins including nine in conference play. At Teaneck high school, she helped guide her team in the first round of the 2021-22 NJSIAA Tournament with a season-high 26 points, five assists and five takeaways. In addition, she also aided her squad in reaching the North Jersey Section 1, Group 3 Quarterfinals.
Staff Additions
In addition to the five newcomers on the court, coach Washington also made some adds on the sideline. Johnetta Hayes was brought on as an assistant coach as well as Will McIntire as the director of Director of Scouting & Technology and Alejandro Ramirez as the interim director of basketball operations.
Hayes spent the last four seasons as the head coach at UMBC. In the 2022-23 season, Hayes led the Retrievers to an 11-win improvement, one of the best in the nation. Hayes also led the team to a 10-6 mark in America East play, their second-best record in program history.
McIntire comes to Piscataway after serving as a student manager and graduate assistant at Iowa over the past four years. Ramirez also served as a student manager with the Scarlet Knights over recent seasons before being promoted to his current role.
Scarlet Knights on the Big Screen
Rutgers will make six appearances on the big screen during the campaign between the Big Ten Network and Fox Sports 1.
- Friday, Nov. 29 vs. Marquette – 2 p.m. (BTN)
- Sunday, Jan. 5 vs. USC – 8 p.m. (BTN)
- Saturday, Jan. 18 at Michigan – 12 p.m. (BTN)
- Thursday, Jan. 23 vs. UCLA – 7 p.m. (FS1)
- Thursday, Feb. 6 at Indiana – 6 p.m. (BTN)
- Monday, Feb. 17 vs. Northwestern – 8 p.m. (BTN)
Scouting the Boilermakers
After dropping nine contests in a row, Purdue picked up its first Big Ten win over Wisconsin in its most recent outing, 84-71.
Destini Lombard paces the Boilermakers with 11.1 points per game. Reagan Bass ranks second averaging 8.6 points but leads Purdue off the boards, averaging 5.2 rebounds.
Looking Ahead
RU will head to Iowa for its second to last road trip of the season to Iowa on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Follow Along
Follow Rutgers women's basketball on Twitter and Instagram (@RutgersWBB) for all of the latest news and updates. The team is also on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersWBB). For all Rutgers Athletics news follow us on Twitter(@RUAthletics), Instagram (@RUAthletics), and Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics). For additional updates, please download the Gameday App.
