Purdue women’s basketball has finally made it official with Zoja Stirn.
The Slovenian point guard, who committed to the Boilermakers back in May, has now signed for the 2026-27 roster. Purdue announced the addition after the process dragged on a few extra months, and the move gives Katie Gearlds another backcourt option heading into the new season.
Stirn arrives as a 5-foot-10 guard with a strong résumé from this past year at Cinkarna Celje in the Slovenian Women’s Basketball League. In 23 games, she averaged 10.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
She also brings a winning background with her to West Lafayette. Stirn was part of teams that captured six straight Slovenian Women’s Basketball League titles and three Women’s Adriatic Basketball Association championships.
That kind of experience fits into a Purdue roster that is already heavy on international talent. The Boilermakers now list 14 players for 2026-27, including seven international prospects. Alongside Stirn, the group includes Keona Douwstra from the Netherlands, Katka Sediva from Slovakia, Hannah Wickstrom from Australia, Jelena Bulajic from Montenegro, Anjela Minja from Tanzania and Maya Zilbershlag from Israel.
Stirn’s arrival adds depth to the perimeter and gives Purdue another player who can handle the ball as a primary organizer. That kind of versatility matters, especially with the season getting closer and the Boilermakers still piecing together the non-conference schedule.
Right now, Purdue has only two non-conference games officially on the books. The Boilermakers will head to Walt Disney World in mid-November for the WBCA Showcase, where they are set to face Florida State on Thursday, Nov. 19, and Texas Tech on Saturday, Nov. 21.
The rest of that schedule should be coming soon, according to the program.
Purdue already knows its Big Ten slate as well. Home games at Mackey Arena will come against Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Wisconsin, UCLA and USC. The road list includes Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers and Oregon.
Indiana is the lone Big Ten opponent Purdue will see twice. The matchup in Bloomington will count as the Barn Burner Trophy Game, and the Boilermakers won last season’s meeting for the trophy, beating the Hoosiers 80-69 at Mackey Arena.
The Big Ten will announce dates for those conference games later.
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