Rutgers women's basketball is building something special, and the latest addition to the squad proves that home is where the heart—and talent—is. Former Purdue guard Tara Daye has committed to the Scarlet Knights, marking the seventh transfer portal pickup for the program this offseason. The news, first reported by The Knight Report, brings a Newark native back to the Garden State for her final year of eligibility.
Daye is no stranger to the college basketball circuit—Rutgers will be her fourth stop in five years, following stints at DePaul, St. John's, and Purdue. But last season, she found her groove with the Boilermakers, posting career highs of 12.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Those numbers also led the team, and she hit double figures in all but four contests, appearing in 25 games. Her decision to join the Scarlet Knights came after visits to Syracuse and Florida, showing the pull of playing for her home state university.
She's the third New Jersey native to return home via the transfer portal this cycle, joining the Pauldo twins, Mia and Mya, who starred at Morris Catholic. For Daye, the homecoming runs deep. She lit up the court at University High School in Newark, where she scored 1,129 career points and helped the Phoenix win back-to-back state titles as a freshman and sophomore. The program went 91-13 during her four years there. After high school, she spent a postgraduate season at Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey, where the team went 14-4.
Daye's journey hasn't been without hurdles. She played 27 games as a freshman at DePaul before transferring to St. John's, where she started 19 games as a sophomore. A serious injury sidelined her for nearly all of her junior year, but she bounced back strong at Purdue. Now, the 5-foot-10 guard brings that resilience and scoring punch to a Rutgers roster that has just one open scholarship spot remaining.
For Scarlet Knights fans, Daye's arrival adds another layer of excitement to a team that's clearly prioritizing local talent and proven experience. With her leadership and ability to fill the stat sheet, the final chapter of her college career could be the most memorable yet.