Penn State women’s basketball closed out its 2024-25 home slate with a loss to Purdue on Wednesday night for Senior Day. Seniors Gabby Elliott, Tamera Johnson, Grace Hall, Jayla Oden, and Alli Campbell were all celebrated pregame surrounded by family. The five Lady Lions also started the game on the floor together.

Head coach Carolyn Kieger opened her postgame press conference with a statement of gratitude toward her senior class, thanking them for their time in the blue and white and emphasizing her pain with not pulling out the win for them.

“First and foremost, we always want to get the W, so I just think it’s hard right now. It’s hard to think about anything other than getting the W for them,” Kieger said.

Campbell and Elliott also took to the stand to speak on their Senior Day experiences and possible final games in the Bryce Jordan Center.

“I don’t know what the future holds, but I just know that my time at Penn State, I’ve enjoyed every second of it,” an emotional Campbell said. “It’s been hard, battled through a lot of adversity, but I’ve had a lot of people behind me helping me get through the tough times. Growing up here, a fan of it, getting to wear the jersey has been a dream.”

Kieger also commended Campbell’s resiliency and grit throughout her time as a Lady Lion. Campbell’s collegiate career has been riddled with injuries, and she wanted to go out with a healthy, complete season.

Elliott tied her career-high 32 points in the game against the Boilermakers, capping off her sole season at Penn State with a signature performance.

“Shout out to Ace [Campbell] for crying in front of y’all. I cried before we got in here,” Elliott said. “It’s an emotional thing. Just like Alli, we legit basically have the same story, going through knee injuries, two knee injuries at that. So, even making it to senior night is a blessing. I’m just happy.”

Campbell and Elliott both acknowledged that while the on-the-court product wasn’t the prettiest for the Lady Lions in 2024-25, they found sisterhood and a bond for life on the team. They embraced the grind and process of a tough season and expressed the love they have for Penn State as a whole.

Despite being eliminated from Big Ten Tournament contention with the loss, Kieger just wants her team to keep fighting and play Lady Lion basketball.

“Compete. Keep your head high. Shoulders up. Attack like always,” Kieger said. “We’re not going to quit teaching. There are lessons through failure. Things aren’t always going to go your way, but there are things to learn, there are things to get better at, and that’s what we’re in this business for, to help transform them. We’re not going to stop doing that.”

The Lady Lions conclude their season with a trip to Rutgers at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 2. The finale will be broadcast on BTN+.