Purdue Women’s Basketball Adds Three to 2018-19 Roster
Versyp announced three new players to the 2018-19 roster Friday
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue women’s basketball head coach Sharon Versyp announced the addition of three players to the 2018-19 roster Friday, welcoming Jenelle Grant, Ajah Stallings and Lyndsey Whilby to the Boilermaker family. Grant and Whilby signed tenders this week, transferring from the University of Pacific and Texas Tech, respectively, while Stallings joins the program as a preferred walk-on.
Jenelle Grant: 6-0 / Jr. / London, England
Grant joins the Boilermakers after playing her first two seasons with Pacific, averaging 7.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for the Tigers in 2017-18. A versatile guard/forward, she could see time on the wing or in the post for the Boilermakers, giving them a significant boost in the scoring column and on the boards.
“With her amazing experience, maturity, basketball IQ and work ethic, Jenelle is going to make an immediate impact on our team,” said Versyp. “She’s a matchup nightmare on the offensive end, where she can post up smaller guards and get buckets inside or take post players to the perimeter and exploit them with her 3-point shot and mid-range game. She’s going to give us a huge boost on the boards, showing an ability to hit the glass hard on both ends and rebound really well out of her area.”
BEFORE PURDUE
- Played two seasons at the University of the Pacific, appearing in 56 games for the Tigers, including 23 starts
- Averaged 7.5 points and a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game in 2017-18, starting 23-of-31 games and playing 27.6 minutes per game
- Had 10 games in double figures in her sophomore campaign, including a monster double-double with a career-high 22 points and 15 rebounds against San Jose State
- Also hit the 20-point scoring mark with 20 points and eight rebounds at Seattle
- Snared double-digit boards on seven occasions in 2017-18, including a career-high 19 boards vs. Cal State Fullerton
- Posted a pair of double-doubles
- Appeared in 25 games as a freshman, averaging 3.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game
- 2017-18 WCC Women’s Basketball All-Academic Honorable Mention
PREP CAREER
- Played club basketball for the Brixton Topcats in the Women’s British Basketball League
- Scored a career-high 42 points vs. the Newham Youngbloods in a National League game
- Member of the U18 England National team and U16 national team
- Averaged 8.3 points and 6.4 rebounds in international play, including 17 points with six boards, three assists, two steals and a block against Netherlands in the U-16 European Championship
- Coached by Steve Vear
PERSONAL
- Full name: Jenelle Millicent Grant
- Intended Major: Business Finance
- Birthday: June 3, 1998
- City Born: London, England
- Parents: David Grant and Sharon Donegal-Grant
- Siblings: Brother, Callis
Ajah Stallings: 5-9 / Fr. / Indianapolis, Indiana
Stallings comes up the road from North Central High School to join the Boilermakers this fall after a very successful career with the Panthers. Just the second preferred walk-on to be invited to join the Boilermakers under Versyp, Stallings brings a variety of intangibles that will make her a fan favorite and a key member of the Old Gold & Black.
“Ajah is a winner, plain and simple, and you can never have enough winners on your roster,” said Versyp. “She’s shown incredible determination, hard work and dedication throughout her career, and her leadership qualities and knowledge of the game will be a positive influence on our program for years to come.”
HIGH SCHOOL
- Four-year varsity letterwinner at North Central, starting all four seasons for the Panthers
- Guided her team to back-to-back Marion County, Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference and Sectional championships in 2016 and 2017
- Advanced to the 2018 Lawrence North Sectional Final
- Helped her team to the No. 2 national ranking via MaxPreps.com in 2017
- Averaged 14.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.5 steals per game as senior, including a team-high 20 points in the sectional finals
- Led her team to a 27-1 record in 2016-17, averaging 11.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game
- Averaged 11.2 points, 3.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game as a sophomore
- Started as a freshman for the Panthers, averaging 5.8 points, 1.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game
- Four-year High Honor Roll selection, and named Student of the Month at North Central in Physics, Biology and English
- Coached by Deann Ramey
NOTEWORTHY
- Rated three stars and an 88 overall grade in the 2018 ESPN Hoopgurlz recruiting rankings
- 2018 Honorable mention AP All-State
- Played in the 30th annual North/South Indiana All-Star Classic
- Three-time All- Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference pick
- Named to the 2017 IBCA/Subway Supreme 15 Underclass All-State Team
- 2017 Indiana Junior All-Star
- Most Valuable Player of the 2017 Shavonte Zellous Shootout
- Featured by ESPNW in 2015: http://www.espn.com/espnw/news-commentary/article/13056970/left-hand-right-attitude-basketball-prospect-ajah-stallings
- Played AAU for the George Hill Lady Stars (2016) and Midwest Finest (2015)
PERSONAL
- Full name: Sjah Chyna-Raynel Stallings
- Intended Major: Pharmacy
- Birthday: July, 24, 2000
- City Born: Indianapolis, Indiana
- Parents: Wade Stallings and Reatha Mayfield-Stallings
- Siblings: Brother, Wade, played basketball at Rose Hulman University
Lyndsey Whilby: 5-11 / So. / Powder Springs, Georgia
After spending her freshman season at Texas Tech, Whilby joins the Boilermakers and fellow Atlanta area native Dominique Oden at Purdue. Whilby appeared in all 30 games, starting nine, in her collegiate rookie season with the Red Raiders, averaging 7.2 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. She played in the same AAU program as Oden (WC Celtics) and won three straight state titles at McEachern High School.
“Lyndsey is an incredibly versatile and explosive wing that gives us a huge boost on both ends of the floor,” said Versyp. “She’s played at a very high level with three state titles in high school and is no stranger to hard work. Offensively she gives us a legit one-on-one threat, who can shoot the 3, post up and break a defender down at the rim, while defensively she’s very long, matches up well on the perimeter and can hit the boards hard.”
BEFORE PURDUE
- Played one season at Texas Tech University, appearing in all 30 games with nine starts
- Averaged 7.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per game, leading the Red Raiders in scoring five times
- Posted a career-high 21 points on two occasions, hitting the mark vs. Incarnate Word and at Oklahoma
- Named Big 12 Freshman of the Week after the win over Incarnate Word
- Scored in double figures 10 times, including the last three games of the season
- Hit a career-best five 3-pointers in each of her 20-point outings, including 5-of-6 against the Sooners
HIGH SCHOOL
- Four-year varsity letterwinner at McEachern High School
- Helped her team to three straight Georgia AAAAAA State Championships (2014-16)
- Scored over 1,000 career points at McEachern
- Averaged 13.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game as a senior
- Coached by Phyllis Arthur
NOTEWORTHY
- Tabbed a three-star recruit and the No. 30 guard in the 2017 recruiting class by ESPN Hoopgurlz
- Earned a four-star recruiting ranking from Prospects Nation
- 2017 Atlanta Journal Constitution First Team AAAAAA All-Region and Second Team All-State
- Earned All-Metro Atlanta second-team honors by the Atlanta Tipoff Club
- Selected for the 2017 Georgia North/South Senior All-Star team
- Played AAU for the WP Celtics, the same program as Purdue teammate Dominique Oden, under head coach Renardo Hudson
PERSONAL
- Full name: Lyndsey Simone Whilby
- Intended Major: Computer Science
- Birthday: July 18, 1999
- City Born: Stamford, Conn.
- Parents: Leonard Whilby Sr. and Regina McClain
- Siblings: Sister, Ashley, Brother, Leonard Jr.
