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New York Times
28-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Women's college basketball transfer portal winners and losers: LSU, South Carolina and TCU
Most of the top players who entered the women's basketball transfer portal have made their own decisions, so it's time to turn our attention to how those moves will impact the 2025-26 outlook for teams. More than 1,300 Division I players entered the portal this season, including more than 250 from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC. But some of those changes were more impactful than others, both for the teams they joined and the teams they left. Advertisement Here's an early look at the winners and losers from the 2025 transfer portal season: A self-described 'portalista,' Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin did it again — maybe better than ever. After graduating four of their top five scorers and rebounders, the Rebels unsurprisingly turned to the portal to reload … and McPhee-McCuin did it quite well. The only player returning with significant 2024-25 starting experience is guard Sira Thienou, so bolstering the inside was crucial. The Rebels landed Ohio State transfer Cotie McMahon, who was the first big surprise of this year's portal season. Though several top power conference programs pursued her, McMahon chose Ole Miss for her final college season. She is relentless around the rim and improved her range this past season, so it'll be interesting to see how the move to The 'Sip might improve her 2026 WNBA Draft stock (as she buys into the Ole Miss defensive system) and if she can help the Rebels get over the Sweet 16 hump. Joining her inside is Virginia transfer Latasha Lattimore. She played heavy minutes for the Cavaliers, averaging 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. An interesting addition is Debreasha Powe. Ole Miss doesn't shoot a ton of 3s, but that's Powe's strength as a 40 percent 3-point shooter (on five-plus attempts per game). She'll give Ole Miss a nice changeup by stretching the floor. Cotie McMahon is heading to @OleMissWBB! 👏 #NCAAWBB x @cotiemcmahon23 — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) April 24, 2025 Did we expect anything less from Mark Campbell? The portal opened on his birthday this year and, well … he received some gifts. The Horned Frogs needed to replace their four leading scorers and rebounders, all of whom were transfers. So it's no surprise that Campbell jumped back into the portal to find their replacements. Advertisement Notre Dame transfer Olivia Miles is the cornerstone of this class. She can step into that pick-and-roll point guard mold occupied last season by Hailey Van Lith. Alongside guard Donovyn Hunter — TCU's one returning starter — its backcourt looks pretty solid. She'll be operating in that role with multiple bigs from Campbell's portal haul. Clara Silva, a 6-foot-7 center, played limited minutes at Kentucky behind Clara Strack, but Silva has a ton of upside and gives the Horned Frogs a strong defensive rim protector, a role occupied at TCU by Sedona Prince the last few seasons. Marta Suarez, a 6-3 forward, brings her all-around game, filling gaps from the departures of Madison Conner and Agnes Emma-Nnopu. Suarez has the size and physicality to play inside, along with athleticism on the glass, good vision for passing lanes and range that forces opponents to respect her 3-point shooting (32 percent last season). 🥽 — TCU Women's Basketball (@tcuwbb) April 9, 2025 South Carolina had an interesting portal season. The Gamecocks added the nation's leading scorer in Latson and a 6-6 center in Okot, who averaged a double-double in SEC competition this season. That solves two issues that hurt the Gamecocks' national title hopes this season as Latson and Okot can plug gaps in the go-to scorer position and the inside. But the departure of Fulwiley in particular provides the first counterpoint to what has been South Carolina's road to success (a method that has run counter to the way most programs operate). Younger players understand they'll sit for older players, and minutes will be dispersed more evenly. Perhaps Fulwiley's exit — even to rival LSU — is just a one-off and the Gamecocks' train will keep chugging along. Or could it be a harbinger that even South Carolina — as powerful as it's become — isn't impervious to the changing waves of college sports? Kim Mulkey has built much of the Tigers' success through the transfer portal, getting players like Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow to play in Baton Rouge. With Flau'jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams, LSU had two of the nation's most exciting players heading into next season, but they still needed to build around them. The loss of Smith, who had come into her own late last season, was disappointing. Koval replaces some of that interior production, but it still seemed like the Tigers needed to add another player or two to return to the Elite Eight conversation heading into next season. Enter Fulwiley and suddenly that Elite Eight conversation is a Final Four conversation. If nothing else, the dynamic rising junior star will bring highlight reel plays to Baton Rouge that will attract basketball fans across the country to tune into games (and certainly for that LSU-South Carolina SEC matchup). On the floor, Fulwiley's playmaking potential, along with Johnson and Williams, instantly gives the Tigers the most unmissable backcourt in the country. Brenda Frese has been one of the most successful portal recruiters in recent years. Last season, she had Kaylene Smikle, Christina Dalce and Sarah Te-Biasu. Previously, she brought in Jakia Brown-Tuner and Brinae Alexander. The year before, she nabbed Abby Meyers. (Just to name a few.) This year, it has been more of the same as Frese reloads the Terrapins, who were just two possessions shy of the Elite Eight. Advertisement Smikle, the Terrapins' leading scorer, returns along with Saylor Poffenbarger (17 starts, 27 minutes per game) and Allie Kubek (21 starts, 24 minutes per game). Bri McDaniel, who tore her ACL in January, could be back on the floor by conference play, depending on her rehab progression. But building out from that core, Frese has added players who could take Maryland further in March. Okananwa should be a great fit for the Terrapins' up-tempo play, and she'll be an excellent individual defender for Frese. Garzon, who shot 41 percent on 3-pointers last season, is an obvious fit. Maryland is consistently one of the highest-percentage 3-point teams in the country, even if it doesn't attempt as many as other squads. In the last two years, the Terrapins' attempts per game have decreased, but Garzon's addition could increase their treys. (She shot nearly seven 3s per game last season.) Gracie Merkle — a 6-6 former Penn State center with two seasons of eligibility remaining — should provide a nice inside presence, especially because she has already faced Big Ten conference foes. She averaged 12.1 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 68 percent in Big Ten play last season. Not every 'winner' is a team remaining in the top 20 despite major roster losses. Under fourth-year coach Tina Langley, Washington's additions could help the Huskies compete in their second Big Ten season. Their portal class seems under-the-radar, but it's a significant win for Langley. Washington made its first NCAA Tournament appearance last season after nearly a decade. The Huskies return three of their four top scorers, including Elle Ladine and Sayvia Sellers, so they didn't need a full rebuild. USC transfer Avery Howell will be a nice addition to that backcourt, giving the Huskies three players who hover around 40 percent from 3. Langley needed to replace 6-4 forward Dalayah Daniels, who led the Huskies with 7.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, as well as 6-3 forward Tayra Eke. Picking up Yulia Grabovskaia, who's 6-5, doesn't give the Huskies the same athletic profile on the inside, but with Howell stretching the floor even more, that might not be too big of a deal. Before the transfer portal, players needed to apply for NCAA waivers to change schools (without sitting out a season) in the wake of a coach's firing or retirement. Not so now. For the sake of this assessment, we're not considering programs like Georgia Tech (Nell Fortner's retirement) or Arizona (Adia Barnes' departure for SMU), where coaching changes took place and several players jumped into the portal. Instead, we're looking solely at programs without a coaching change that lost players. After the Bruins made history with their first Final Four run of the modern era, it looked like they were gearing up to run it back, considering no players were graduating or heading to the draft. Instead, UCLA lost six players to the portal, including its entire freshman class, one starter and the Big Ten's sixth player of the year. That hurts the Bruins' chances of a second-straight Final Four run, as well as the prospects of a future title run with a young class coming up behind a veteran core. Advertisement A possible reason for the exodus? Fresh off the Final Four, UCLA anticipated returning its starting five return as well as getting back Bruins guard Charlisse-Leger Walker, who missed last season rehabbing an ACL injury, and 6-4 forward Amanda Muse. With an incoming class that includes 6-4 forward Sienna Betts (younger sister of starting center Lauren Betts) and 6-3 wing Lena Bilić — even with Jones opting to enter the portal — minutes were going to be hard to come by in Westwood. Three starters graduated (Kiki Iriafen, Rayah Marshall, Talia von Oelhoffen), so there were going to be major minutes up for grabs in 2025-26. Then, JuJu Watkins, who ranked 12th among power conference players in minutes per game — tore her ACL, which provides another opportunity for players to get on the floor. Right now, it's hard to know what USC will look like next season. The Trojans return Kennedy Smith, who started 28 games as a freshman, and Malia Samuels. But beyond them, no player averaged more than 10 minutes a game. Coach Lindsay Gottlieb might be in a similar position as she was two years ago — entering the season with the nation's top-ranked freshman (this time: 6-1 guard Jazzy Davidson) and a group that hasn't played much together. That season went pretty well for the Trojans, as Watkins led the Trojans to the Elite Eight. Could the same be expected next season? back in the lab 🧪 — USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) April 26, 2025 Quite surprising to see a third team that was considered a national championship front-runner in the 'losers' section right now. But here we are. Welcome to the modern era of college sports, where everything changes by the day. After much talk about the successful backcourt chemistry between Miles and Hannah Hidalgo, the partnership was short-lived as Miles opted to spend her final season at TCU. Koval, who played an increased role until Maddy Westbeld returned from injury, also opted to transfer. Her older brother attends LSU, so it wasn't a huge surprise she landed there, even if her decision to depart from Notre Dame was unexpected. Risch appeared in only 13 games this season while rehabbing a hip injury, and Watson didn't play at all because of a knee injury. Those exits, coupled with Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld's departures for the WNBA, leave a dearth of minutes in South Bend. Hidalgo is a heck of a point guard, but beyond her, the Irish have only one player (forward Cassandre Prosper) who played more than five minutes a game last season. Notre Dame's 2025 high school recruiting class has only one player (Leah Macy). So far, coach Niele Ivey has secured commitments from Kansas State's Gisela Sanchez and Wake Forest's Malaya Cowles. But work is required to fill out a starting five, let alone a roster. (Photo of MiLaysia Fulwiley: Elsa / Getty Images)
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ohio State Women's basketball adds scoring threat from transfer portal
The Ohio State Women's basketball team is in a bit of a rebuilding period after seeing several players graduate as well as losing star Cotie McMahon to the transfer portal. Fortunately, Kevin McGuff has a solid foundation with Big Ten Freshman of the Year in Jaloni Cambridge. However, there are still holes to fill if the Buckeyes want to make another run at a conference title and an NCAA tournament bid. One of those pieces fell into place earlier this week when OSU received a commitment from T'yana Todd a Canadian three-point specialist. Todd comes to the Buckeyes via the transfer portal after spending three years at Boston College. She averaged double digits in scoring in all three seasons with the Eagles with this past year averaging just under 14 points per game. She was also among the best in the country in three-point shooting percentage this past season making nearly 46 percent from beyond the arc. Todd will have one year of eligibility remaining. It's a nice addition for McGuff and Ohio State. The Buckeyes will still be looking to add more talent to replace the production of McMahon and other graduating seniors which won't be easy. This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State Women's basketball adds guard from Boston College
USA Today
23-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ohio State Women's basketball adds scoring threat from transfer portal
Ohio State Women's basketball adds scoring threat from transfer portal The Ohio State Women's basketball team is in a bit of a rebuilding period after seeing several players graduate as well as losing star Cotie McMahon to the transfer portal. Fortunately, Kevin McGuff has a solid foundation with Big Ten Freshman of the Year in Jaloni Cambridge. However, there are still holes to fill if the Buckeyes want to make another run at a conference title and an NCAA tournament bid. One of those pieces fell into place earlier this week when OSU received a commitment from T'yana Todd a Canadian three-point specialist. Todd comes to the Buckeyes via the transfer portal after spending three years at Boston College. She averaged double digits in scoring in all three seasons with the Eagles with this past year averaging just under 14 points per game. She was also among the best in the country in three-point shooting percentage this past season making nearly 46 percent from beyond the arc. Todd will have one year of eligibility remaining. It's a nice addition for McGuff and Ohio State. The Buckeyes will still be looking to add more talent to replace the production of McMahon and other graduating seniors which won't be easy.
Forbes
28-03-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Top Transfer Moves And Timing Traps: Navigating The Women's Basketball Portal
It has only been roughly 72 hours since the women's basketball transfer portal opened and already big names from across the country have entered to see where their stock might land them in the conversation and landscape of college hoops. According to which has a live tracker, as of yesterday, there are 941 active players in the women's basketball transfer portal. Perhaps the most interesting portal names currently are Ta'Niya Latson (Florida State), Cotie McMahon (Ohio State), Gianna Kneepkens (Utah), Serah Williams (Wisconsin), Kiyomi McMiller (Rutgers) and Jada Williams (Arizona). Perhaps the two most surprising portal entries are juniors Ta'Niya Latson and Cotie McMahon. Latson is the 2025 national regular season leading scorer with 25.2 points per game, 4.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and shooting 45.1%. Latson is also a finalist for the Naismith Trophy, John R. Wooden Award, Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, as well as being a WBCA All-American this season. Latson and the Seminoles lost in the second round of the tournament to LSU, but in the loss Latson put up 30 points and 7 rebounds. Forward Cotie McMahon has been the definition of consistency in the Big 10. The past three seasons at OSU she has averaged 15.1, 14.4, and 16.5 points per game. This season McMahon was named to the Big 10 All-First Team as well as a Cheryl Miller Award Top 10 Finalist. In her final game in a Buckeye uniform, McMahon scored 17 points and had five rebounds in the second round tournament loss to Tennessee. According to EJ Arrow, a national and international women's basketball scout, evaluator, and women's hoops writer, 'Ta'Niya Latson and Cotie McMahon have proved themselves over the past few years (at FSU & OSU) as some of the most elite hoopers and can enter the portal and reap the benefits of pretty much having their choice of school and a sizable NIL package.' Another guard that is available now in the portal that could be a contributor for a team is junior Gianna Kneepkens. Kneepkens averaged 19.3 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and shooting 50.4% for the season. In the Utes' NCAA first round loss to Indiana, Kneepkens led all scorers with 24 points. Again, Kneepkens entering the portal is big news as she was nominated for the illustrious Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards for this season. For junior forward Serah Williams who averaged 19.2 points per game, 9.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and was incredibly efficient, shooting 49.3%, her portal entry has already gained attention from big teams still playing and dancing in the NCAA tournament as it is rumored that UConn and LSU have shown immense interest in adding her to their rosters. Whatever team adds Williams will be acquiring a defensive talent as Williams was the 2024 Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year, as well as earning First Team All Conference and Defensive Honors this season. Kiyomi McMiller, a five star recruit out of high school and McDonald's All-American nominee is looking to take her talents to another level after a spectacular freshman season. McMiller averaged 18.7 points per game, 4.7 rebounds, 3 assists and shooting 41.5%. However, it was noted throughout the season that McMiller dealt with off-court issues and turmoil with the coaching staff at Rutgers missing games throughout the season for team matters. Jada Williams is a sophomore guard who averaged 12.7 points per game this season, 13.4 points per game in conference matchups, and led her team with 2.9 assists her game and was a member of the Pac-12 All-Freshman team last year. Per Williams' personal Instagram page, today she visited Iowa which could mean that the Hawkeyes land a seasoned point guard out of the portal two years in a row. This year the Hawkeyes were led by Villanova point guard transfer who stepped in and replaced Caitlin Clark at the helm of the team, averaging 17.9 points per game, 3.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and shooting 43.6%. For Arrow, this influx of portal activity could be for a multitude of reasons, 'So every player has their own reasons behind it [entering the portal]. Some players didn't receive ample playing time or the playing time they felt they deserved, so they've chosen to seek out an opportunity at a new school. For others, maybe it wasn't their right fit. Perhaps they didn't feel supported by the program or felt their role was diminished on the team. Sometimes there's a coaching change and because that player was recruited by the coach who will no longer be there, the player has a change of heart and enters the portal.' However, he did situate for Power4 players it is about NIL money and the chance to win a championship, stating, 'More recently, I've found that the two biggest factors, especially for some of the biggest names, is NIL money and building a 'super team' to ultimately win a National Championship. Big players in the portal this year like Ta'Niya Latson and Cotie McMahon have proved themselves over the past few years (at FSU & OSU) as some of the most elite hoopers and can enter the portal and reap the benefits of pretty much having their choice of school and a sizable NIL package. So the process is definitely unique to every player's specific situation.' Since the transfer portal opened on Tuesday, March 25 several of the game's top coaches have been highly critical of the timing of the portal timeframe given its overlap with March Madness. Today in his press conference before his regional game tonight in Spokane, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma expressed the difficulty of managing preparation of his team and staff for the tournament but also needing to explore transfer and portal options. He said, "There's just a lot of things going on right now that take away some of the focus of the players, some of the focus of the coaches. The portal has become a big cloud that hangs over everything." Auriemma continued comparing the transfer portal in its current state to free agency, "Do you think the NBA will ever have open free agency during the NBA Playoffs? I doubt that," he said. 'It's got to be sometime after all this is over. It's got to be when the schools have finished playing. There's got to be some sort of way to track and monitor and penalize tampering like there is the NBA. There's got to be a guideline of what you can do in free agency, which is basically what it is.' Although on the other side of the country in the Birmingham regional, South Carolina's head coach Dawn Staley also spoke up about the timing of the portal opening in conjunction with the tournament, "I think the timing is all screwed up. It really plays on your ability to compartmentalize. If you aren't — I mean, most coaches are, but if you are not really good at it, it can sidetrack you. But for us, the main thing, the main thing at this point is trying to win another national championship." Similarly, Arrow feels that the portal opening and timing needs to be changed until after the tournament concludes. He expressed, 'I wish it would wait until after March Madness is over. There's enough chaos already with the NCAA Tournament, WBIT & WNIT all happening simultaneously. I just think it creates a mess of a situation where it seems like too much is happening all at once. There's even instances where individuals who are still competing this time of year are entering the portal. I think waiting until the first week of April to officially 'open the portal' would be beneficial for all parties.' To follow along with coverage of the women's March Madness Spokane Regional, follow me on Twitter.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ohio State women's basketball star Cotie McMahon has entered the transfer portal
The Ohio State Women's Basketball team got some unfortunate news today. All-Conference performer, Cotie McMahon has entered the transfer portal and will look to play elsewhere for her senior season. McMahon has been a firey competitor tracing all the way back to the days when she exploded on the Scarlet and Gray scene in her freshman year. McMahon helped lead the Buckeyes to the Elite Eight in 2023 for the first time in 30 years. She would also be named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year after averaging 15.1 points per game to go along with 5.5 rebounds. McMahon was the unquestioned leader entering her junior season at Ohio State where she helped lead the team to a 26-7 record while earning All-American Honorable Mention honors. After starting the season 20-1, the Buckeyes faltered down the stretch ultimately ending with a second-round defeat at the hands of Tennessee despite playing on their home court. McMahon was visibly upset as the buzzer sounded. As she made her way through the handshake line, the cameras caught her dropping some four-letter words, and visibly dismayed. She would only say that she was "very frustrated" with the team's finish to the season. The decision to enter the portal is somewhat surprising considering McMahon grew up just down the road in Centerville, Ohio. She led the team in scoring with 16.5 per game this season. Coming back for her senior year would have paired her with this year's Big Ten Freshman of the year, Jaloni Cambridge giving the Buckeyes some solid experience. Instead, coach Kevin McGuff will now need to replace three starters with Ajae Petty and Taylor Thierry both being seniors. This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State star Cotie McMahon has entered the transfer portal
