Coming into the 2024-25 campaign, 6-foot-6 center Gracie Merkle was hailed as the biggest acquisition for Penn State.
"We are thrilled to welcome Gracie to our Penn State family," coach Carolyn Kieger told Penn State Athletics. "Her dominance in the post is unparalleled.”
Merkle led Bellarmine in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage last season – the latter of which she led the nation, draining 70.2% of her shots.
Through 12 games, Merkle displayed that success at Penn State, leading the team with 20.3 points per game. Her scoring ranked in the top five in the Big Ten, and Merkle’s play was unstoppable.