Penn announces plans to transfer from IU

Two months after she opted out of the 2020-21 season, guard Jaelynn Penn has decided to transfer from Indiana.

Penn announced her plans on Instagram on Wednesday, saying she wants to pursue a graduate degree and use her final year of eligibility at another school. She started 10 of the 11 games she played during the 2020-21 season, averaging 9.5 points and 4.9 rebounds while furthering her reputation as one of the Big Ten’s better perimeter defenders.

But it was a seemingly frustrating season for the Louisville native, who dealt with injury issues and had trouble finding a consistent long-range shooting stroke. In her final appearance in an IU uniform, Penn scored 13 points and drained all three of her 3-point attempts in a win over Michigan State on Jan. 31.

From Penn’s Instagram:

In my last four years in an Indiana uniform, I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of something special and it’s hard for me to put in words how much it has meant to me.

First and foremost, I would like to thank God my Lord and Savior, everything is for Him.

I would like to express my thanks and gratitude for Coach Moren, Coach Box, Coach Wierzba, Coach Constantine and Coach Williams for taking a chance on me and making me a Hoosier. I will be forever grateful. To Kevin Konopasek, Mattie White, Bree Schomaeker, Liz Honegger, Sadie Edwards, Will Sims, and Megan Kramper - thank you for helping me grow during my time in Cream and Crimson.

I have made great friendships and relationships over my time at Indiana, most importantly with my teammates. I am proud to have been alongside of so many of you as we helped rewrite the IU record books. Nothing will ever replace those memories and something I will always cherish.

The Hoosier Nation fan base is like no other and I’ve really felt the love over my last three seasons. Y’all are a passionate bunch who make Bloomington a great place to call home. I will always have a special place in my heart for you.

I also can’t underestimate the incredible education I received while attending Indiana University. A sincere thank you goes out to Lorian Price for helping me earn my degree in psychology.

After much consideration in the past few months, I have made the decision to pursue my graduate degree elsewhere and transfer for my final year of eligibility.

During her four seasons at IU, Penn scored 1,319 points and averaged 11.6 points per game.