WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The reigning two-time NAIA National Player of the Year will suit up for the Purdue women's basketball team next season, as head coach Katie Gearlds welcomed guard Ella Collier to the program for her final campaign of eligibility.
Collier spent the last four seasons at Marian setting the program record for scoring with over 2,000 points, earning four straight All-America honors in the process. She will reunite with Gearlds, whose final season coaching at Marian in 2020-21 was Collier's freshman year with the Knights.
Collier rewrote the record books as she guided the Knights to a 119-19 record, four NAIA Tournament appearances, three national quarterfinals, three Crossroads League championships and a conference tournament title.
The Danville, Ind., native appeared in 136 games, making 133 starts at Marian. She tallied 2,260 points while shooting an impressive 94.2% from the line, 54.4% from the field and 45.9% from distance in her career.
She etched her name atop the career record book for, scoring average (16.6 points per game), field goals made (826), 3-pointers made (249), 3-point percentage, free throw percentage and starts. She also set the single-season marks for points (666) and free throw percentage (96%, 144-150).
Collier posted four straight 90-50-40 seasons over her career. She was twice named the Crossroads League Player of the Year and garnered four First Team All-Crossroads League selections.
As a senior in 2023-24, Collier passed former Knight and current Purdue director of video and recruiting assistant Lakan Hasser-Smith for the all-time scoring mark. She posted 16 games with 20 or more points, including a career-high 30 in the NAIA quarterfinals. She tallied 19 points and 3.7 rebounds per game with a 54% shooting clip and 96% mark at the line last season, leading to her repeating as the NAIA National Player of the Year.
Collier earned her first NAIA National Player of the Year award behind an 18-point, 4.4 rebound per game campaign in 2022-23. She shot 55.6% from the field, 44% from distance and 94% at the line.
Her first two campaigns at Marian featured current Purdue graduate assistant Abby Downard running the point. Collier tallied 15.7 points per game and shot 48% from distance as a sophomore in 2021-22.
Her first season in college under head coach Katie Gearlds saw the Danville, Ind., product shoot a program record 57.6% from the field and 50.8% from behind the arc. She earned All-America honors and won the Crossroads League Newcomer and Freshman of the Year honors.
Prior to her historic career at Marian, Collier was a standout at Danville High School. She was tabbed an Indiana All-Star as a senior and junior, after scoring over 2,200 points in her prep career.
Collier chose Marian over Division I offers from Western Michigan, FIU, Old Dominion and Richmond, among others.