Gracie Merkle To Return To Penn State Lady Lions
Penn State women’s basketball center Gracie Merkle announced her withdrawal from the portal and her return to the Lady Lions for the 2025-26 season on Monday. She was previously committed to Maryland.
The 6’6″ center arrived from Bellarmine this past season after using a medical redshirt in 2023-24. In her redshirt sophomore campaign, Merkle averaged 15.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game on a Big Ten-leading 67% from the field. She recorded 20 or more points in ten games, including a season-high 31 on November 27 against Drexel. Her strong season had her named as an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention.
Merkle returns to a Penn State team that’s looking to rebound from a rough 2024-25 season, which saw them go 1-17 in Big Ten play and lose ten consecutive games to end the season.
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