When Kevin McGuff landed Ajae Petty in the spring of 2024, it felt like the final piece of a championship-caliber puzzle. Ohio State had just finished a season where they were basically bullied on the glass, finishing dead last in the Big Ten in rebounding. It was their Achilles' heel. Then came Petty—a 6-foot-3 powerhouse coming off a monster double-double season at Kentucky.
She was supposed to be the "fix."
Honestly, the hype was real. You had a roster featuring the explosive Cotie McMahon and the lightning-fast freshman Jaloni Cambridge, but they needed a physical presence in the paint to survive the gauntlet of the Big Ten. Petty brought that. She brought 339 rebounds and a 20-20 game on her resume from the SEC.
But as the 2024-25 season unfolded, the "Ajae Petty Ohio State" story became a fascinating study in how a star player adapts to a new system—and ultimately, what happens when a high-stakes experiment ends sooner than fans expected.
The Impact: How Ajae Petty Changed the Buckeyes' Frontcourt
Before Petty arrived in Columbus, the Buckeyes' rebounding situation was, frankly, a mess. They were giving up second-chance points like they were going out of style. Petty changed that dynamic immediately.
In her debut season at Ohio State, she didn't just play; she dominated the glass. She led the team with 7.2 rebounds per game. That might seem lower than her Kentucky numbers (10.6 rpg), but you've gotta look at the context. At Ohio State, she was playing about 21.8 minutes per game, compared to over 31 minutes at UK.
Her efficiency was through the roof.
Efficiency Over Volume
Petty shot a career-high 58.8% from the floor while at Ohio State. Think about that for a second. In a game against Michigan State in February 2025, she went 11-of-11 from the field. She was the first Buckeye in nearly a decade to be that perfect with at least ten attempts.
She wasn't just a "big body" anymore. She had become a surgical finisher.
During the Daytona Beach Classic, she was named MVP after dropping 24 points and 11 boards on Old Dominion. That was the version of Petty that Ohio State fans fell in love with—a player who could dominate the game without needing the ball every single possession.
The Turning Point: The 2025 NCAA Tournament and Beyond
The Buckeyes finished the 2024-25 regular season with a solid 26-7 record. They were ranked 19th in the final AP Poll and looked like a team that could make a deep run. But the postseason is a different beast entirely.
Ohio State faced Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at home in Columbus. It was a nightmare. The Buckeyes managed only eight points in the fourth quarter, eventually falling 82-67.
It was a gut punch.
For Ajae Petty, who had spent the year being the reliable anchor, the exit was especially bitter. Shortly after the tournament loss, reports began to surface that Petty was entering the transfer portal yet again for her final season of eligibility (utilizing her "COVID year" or remaining graduate status).
Why the Move?
It’s easy to look at the stats and wonder why a player would leave a starting role on a top-20 team. But college basketball in 2026 is a business. Between NIL opportunities and the desire to be "the" focal point for a WNBA-bound final season, the transfer portal is always looming.
- System Fit: Ohio State's "press and run" style often prioritizes guards.
- Draft Stock: Petty needed to show she could be a high-volume scorer again.
- Program Transition: With several veterans leaving, the Buckeyes are entering a "retooling" phase.
What Most People Get Wrong About Ajae Petty's Time at OSU
There's this weird narrative that Petty "regressed" because her scoring average dropped from 14.2 at Kentucky to 9.4 at Ohio State.
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That is just wrong.
Basically, Petty played 10 fewer minutes per game. Her Rebound Percentage and Player Efficiency Rating (PER) remained elite. She wasn't worse; she was just sharing the floor with more offensive weapons like McMahon and Gray. If you project her OSU stats to a 40-minute game, she was actually more productive as a Buckeye than she was as a Wildcat.
She was a more disciplined defender, too. She cut down on her fouls while maintaining a steady block and steal rate that fit perfectly into McGuff's aggressive defensive scheme.
The Professional Leap
The WNBA scouts were watching. Even with the mid-season fluctuations, Petty's ability to shoot nearly 60% in a major conference like the Big Ten didn't go unnoticed. She signed a training camp deal with the Dallas Wings in April 2025, proving that her stint in Columbus served its purpose: showing she could win on a high-level team.
Navigating the Legacy of Ajae Petty at Ohio State
So, how do we remember the Petty era? It was short. One season. But it was the season where Ohio State finally fixed their rebounding crisis.
She leaves behind a void that Elsa Lemmilä and the incoming 2026 class will have to fill.
If you're a Buckeyes fan, or just someone following the portal madness, there are a few things to keep in mind moving forward:
1. Rebounding remains the priority. Without Petty, the Buckeyes' defensive rebounding percentage is projected to take a massive hit. Watch for McGuff to hit the portal hard for another veteran post.
2. Efficiency is the new standard. Petty proved that you don't need 20 shots a game to be an All-Big Ten caliber player. The blueprint for the "modern OSU center" is now someone who can shoot 55%+ while running the floor.
3. The "Graduate Transfer" gamble. Petty’s success showed that one-year rentals can work, but they also leave you starting from scratch the following year.
The story of Ajae Petty Ohio State isn't just about a player transferring. It’s about how a team identified its biggest weakness and brought in the exact specialist needed to fix it. While the tournament ending wasn't the fairytale fans wanted, Petty's impact on the program's culture and the development of the younger frontcourt players like Lemmilä will be felt long after she’s gone to the pros.
Keep an eye on the Buckeyes' upcoming transfer portal activity this spring. They’ll be looking for "the next Ajae Petty" to anchor the paint for the 2026 season.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Check the official Ohio State Women’s Basketball roster for 2026 to see who has been recruited to replace Petty's production in the paint.
- Follow the WNBA training camp cuts in May to see if Petty secures a permanent roster spot with the Wings or another franchise.
- Review the Big Ten rebounding leaders from last year to see which portal players might be a good fit for McGuff's system.