With the 2024-25 season still several months away, Penn State women’s basketball announced the final version of its latest roster Tuesday. The Lady Lions saw high turnover in the offseason as only four players from last year’s team remained on the roster.

Guard Moriah Murray, forward Grace Hall, guard Jayla Oden, and guard Alli Campbell remained on the roster from the 2023-24 season that saw the Lady Lions reach the final of the WBIT. Guard Jill Jekot also remained with the team after joining the group in the middle of last season, though she came as an early enrollee and didn’t see the court.

To help you get to know the Lady Lions’ new roster, we compiled a list of all the team’s additions.

Guards

Gabby Elliott

Gabby Elliott was Penn State’s biggest haul of the offseason. A graduate transfer from Michigan State, Elliott, brings Big Ten experience to a roster that lacks much court time in a top conference. The 5’10” guard spent two years at Clemson before transferring to Michigan State, where she dealt with injuries and played in just 15 games over two years. Between the two programs, Elliott averaged 11.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.

Shea Steele

Shea Steele committed to the Lady Lions in October 2023. During her senior season of high school ball, she recorded 21.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting 42% from the field, per her MaxPreps profile.

Vitoria Santana

Vitoria Santana came to Penn State from Eastern Arizona, where she spent two years playing JUCO ball. She averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game during her second season while shooting 36.5% shooting from the field and 30.7% shooting from beyond the arc.

Talayah Walker

Talayah Walker also joins Penn State coming out of high school. She played her high school ball at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Maryland and club ball at Philly Rise in Philadelphia. With Our Lady of Good Counsel, Walker recorded 19 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game, per her MaxPreps profile.

Jill Jekot

Jekot is the sister of former Penn State women’s basketball player Kelly Jekot, who spent two seasons at Penn State as a graduate transfer. The younger Jekot played for Cumberland Valley High School before Penn State, averaging 23 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.9 steals per game in her final season. She was a two-time First Team All-State selection in Pennsylvania.

Forwards

Cam Rust

Cam Rust comes to Penn State from Worchester Academy, where she was ranked as a three-star recruit by ESPN and a four-star by Prospects Nation. She also played club basketball for the Bay State Jaguars.

Tamera Johnson

Tamera Johnson comes to Penn State after four seasons of college ball at Lousiana, where she averaged 10.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. She once had a 17-point, 17- rebound game for the Ragin’ Cajuns, earning Sun Belt Player of the Week honors early in the 2023-24 season.

Ariana Williams

Ariana Williams joins Penn State after playing her high school ball with Example Academy in Chicago, Illinois. She was part of an Example team in the 2023-24 season that went 30-5 and a runner-up in the finals of Chicago’s city championship.

Center

Gracie Merkle

Gracie Merkle came to Penn State after one season at Bellarmine Academy. She was one of the best players in the Atlantic Sun Conference, racking up nine Freshman of the Week honors. In the 2023-24 season, Merkle recorded 15.1 points, 11 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 70.2% from the field.