23.4 PPG star Hannah Wickstrom jumps to Big Ten

• ‍Hannah Wickstrom on the move with March Madness in sight‍
• Gunslinging Hannah Wickstrom's Big West breakout season‍
• Every Australian player in the 2026 Transfer Portal‍
• Every Australian in NCAAW basketball in 2026-27

Australia’s leading college basketball scorer Hannah Wickstrom has made her “I want play pro” intentions clear, transferring to Big 10 powerhouse Purdue Boilermakers for her junior season in 2026-27.

Melbourne-born Wickstrom, 20, was the fifth leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball last season, averaging 23.4 points per game in 29 games for UC Riverside in the Big West.

“I was so blessed to have such a great opportunity at UCR over these past two years,” Wickstrom told basketball.com.au.

“I want to play pro, I want to develop my game, and I want to be the best I can be.

“I did everything I could at UCR, got my game to where I wanted it to be, and I think a new opportunity will be great for me.“

Why Hannah Wickstrom transferred to the Big 10

Purdue need a scorer – plain and simple and Wickstrom fits the bill.

But sScoring guard Wickstrom will face tougher, more physical defences in the Big 10 as she works toward her goal of playing in March Madness and then the WNBA.UC Riverside is in the mid-major Big West Conference, while Purdue is in a “Power Five” conference – the Big 10.

“I want to be in a good environment, somewhere where I can really take my game to the next level,” she said.

“I've been watching all the (March Madness) games.

“You see all the girls play with such emotion; they play so hard, and it makes me emotional when you see those big game-winners, or you see everyone running onto the court.

“It's somewhere I want to be, and getting to [the NCAA Tournament] is a goal for me.

“I just love basketball, and I get so much FOMO [fear of missing out] watching it all knowing that our season has ended and these girls are still playing.”

Hannah Wickstrom’s freshman and sophomore seasons at UC Riverside

Wickstrom developed from a Big West All-Freshman into an All-Big West First Team guard, leading the conference in scoring (23.4 PPG, 680 total points) while ranking in the top three in efficiency (PER), steals and overall offensive impact.

“It just shows all the hard work I put in paid off,” she said.

“I just really wanted to be consistent throughout the season, and I did that.

“Each game, people would defend me differently, so I would always have to adjust to the different defences.

“I'd always have the opposition’s best defender on me, and I had some pretty tough matchups, but that's all just such a blessing and made me a better player.

“I'm grateful I had the opportunity to show everyone what I can do, and that was all thanks to my coaches and everyone at UCR. The coaches just poured so much into me, and it's a place where I really thrived.

“The UCR gym was such a safe space for me, and that's just credit to the people that they have on the staff and the people that they recruited too.”

Purdue Boilermakers 2025–26 Season Summary

The Boilermakers finished the 2025–26 season 13–17 overall (5–13 Big Ten), placing 14th in the Big Ten Conference and exiting in the opening round of the conference tournament.

They lacked a primary scoring option, with junior guard Tara Daye averaging just 12.4 points per game.

Head coach Katie Gearlds has clearly looked for a scorer in the 2026 Transfer Portal.

Purdue’s Season Snapshot

• Record: 13–17
• Conference: 5–13 (14th)
• Home form: Competitive, with multiple wins against mid-tier opponents
• Postseason: Eliminated in Big Ten Tournament first round (lost to Oregon)

Strong non-conference start

• Opened the season 8–2, with wins over Miami (OH), Dayton, and Lipscomb
• Offence clicked early, regularly scoring 80+ points

Big Ten reality check

• Struggled against ranked opposition and top-half teams
• Losses included heavy margins vs:
• • Michigan (104–56)
  • UCLA (96–48)
  • Maryland (99–66)

Inconsistent middle-tier results

• Picked up wins against:
• • Washington (78–72)
  • Indiana (80–69)
  • Wisconsin (75–67)
• But it couldn’t sustain momentum across conference play.

Late-season fade

• Lost 7 of last 10 games
• Defensive issues persisted, conceding 80+ points regularly.

Team Identity

• Balanced scoring, no dominant primary option
• • Tara Daye led with 12.4 PPG.
• Moderate playmaking
• • Madison Layden-Zay: 3.3 APG
• Efficiency pockets but limited volume scoring
• Struggled defensively against elite size and pace

Key Issues

• Defensive consistency — frequent breakdowns against top offences
• Lack of elite shot creator — no 15+ PPG scorer
• Physical gap vs. the top Big Ten teams
• Difficulty closing games on the road

Big Ten Performance

• Finished 5–13 in conference, ahead of only:
• • Penn State (4–14)
  • Northwestern (2–16)
  • Rutgers (1–17)
• Significant gap to contenders like:
• • UCLA (18–0)
  • Michigan / Iowa (15–3)

What This Means for Hannah Wickstrom

This is a rebuilding Purdue program, not a contender:

• Immediate opportunity for high-usage offensive role
• Clear need for scoring injection (23.4 PPG profile fits directly)
• Likely chance to become:
• • Primary scorer
  • On-ball creator
  • Go-to late-game option

For Wickstrom, it’s a step up in competition — but also a step into an opportunity to continue to develop her game and another step towards her goals.

Big West vs Big Ten — What Changes for Wickstrom

Big West Conference (UC Riverside)

Big West Conference

• Mid-major conference in the NCAA landscape
• Primarily West Coast programs (California + Hawai‘i)
• Style leans skill, pace, and guard-driven offence.
• Defensive schemes are generally less physical, more system-based
• Fewer WNBA-calibre athletes across the league

What it meant for Wickstrom:

• High-usage offensive role (34% usage)
• Ability to control tempo and shot volume
• Scoring efficiency is maintained with freedom and spacing.

Big Ten Conference (Purdue)

Big Ten Conference

• Power Five conference — one of the strongest in women’s college basketball
• Nationally ranked programs with consistent NCAA Tournament presence
• Style is typically more physical, structured, and defensively disciplined.
• Bigger, stronger athletes across all positions
• Deeper scouting, more complex defensive coverages

What it means at Purdue:

• Reduced margin for error offensively
• More length and physicality at the point of attack
• Defensive pressure and help rotations are sharper.
• Every possession is more contested — fewer “clean” looks

The Power Five Conferences

1. Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)

• Schools: Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Louisville
• Known for: elite programs, strong guard play, national contenders every year

2. Big Ten Conference

• Schools: Purdue, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State
• Known for: physicality, size, structured half-court basketball

3. Big 12 Conference

• Schools: Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State
• Known for: defensive intensity, parity, tough road environments

4. Southeastern Conference (SEC)

• Schools: South Carolina, LSU, Tennessee
• Known for: elite athleticism, WNBA-level talent, championship contenders

5. Pac-12 Conference (historically)

• Schools: Stanford, UCLA, USC, Oregon
• Known for: skill, pace, and national title programs
• Note: The Pac-12 has undergone major realignment (from 2024 onward), but it is still commonly referenced in the traditional “Power Five” grouping.