UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Penn State women’s basketball lands senior transfer Cristen Carter, head coach Tanisha Wright announces. Carter joins Wright’s portal class, becoming the fourth portal pickup this offseason. The forward arrives in Happy Valley after a most recent season spent at Georgetown, following two years at Butler.
“We are so excited to add Cristen to our roster,” Wright said. “Cristen comes with a wealth of experience and an attitude to do whatever needs to be done to be successful. We look forward to Cristen’s leadership as we continue to build a strong foundation for the Lady Lion program.”
Carter brings leadership and experience to the Penn State women’s basketball, with three years of collegiate basketball under her belt. Most recently, she played for the Hoyas, appearing in 30 games and starting in five. Carter averaged 4.6 points and 4.1 rebounds during her junior campaign at Georgetown, putting together four double-digit scoring outings for the Hoyas.
During her time at Butler, Carter played in 64 games while starting in 30. She averaged 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds across her first two collegiate seasons. As a sophomore, the 6-4 forward recorded 133 rebounds which ranked second on the team. She also managed a team-best 20 blocked shots to rank 13th in the BIG EAST in blocked shots per game (0.6). Carter kicked off her freshman campaign with a double-double against Chicago State, producing 15 points and 10 rebounds in her opening performance.
Throughout her college career, she has played in 94 contests and started in 35 while averaging 4.4 points and 3.9 rebounds and compiling two double doubles.
Carter attended Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis, Ind. She was named a 2023 Indiana All-Star after averaging 18.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game as a senior. In addition to being a team captain in 2023, Carter was an Academic All-State selection. She set the Ben Davis single-season rebounding record (355) and scored a career high 30 points against Nobelsville. The star forward powered her team to two sectional championships and a regional title during her time at Ben Davis. The Indianapolis native was a two-time All-County and All-Conference selection in her junior and senior seasons. As a third year, she averaged 11.4 points and 10.2 rebounds and was named Indy Start “Supreme 15” All-State and earned a spot on the Junior All-State team.