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The transfer portal for women’s college basketball opens Monday, April 6.
This is a change from last season, when the portal opened for 30 days after the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The transfer window is also shorter this year, open for 15 days.
As coaches predicted, moving and shortening the window will neither stop players from announcing their intentions to enter the portal, nor stop their agents from communicating with teams.
"I have several transfers on my team now, but I'm also going to lose six seniors," UCLA coach Cori Close said. "We're going to be very proactive in the transfer portal. We're probably going to sign five transfers."
Last season saw several stars of women’s basketball transfer. Olivia Miles went from Notre Dame to TCU, MiLaysia Fulwiley from South Carolina to LSU, Ta’Niya Latson from South Carolina to Florida State and Cotie McMahon from Ohio State to Ole Miss.
USA TODAY Sports will rank the best players in the portal as they announce their intentions to transfer. Here are the top 20 players who have entered the portal. Click for the top 40.
A two-time All-American and three-time All-Big 12 selection, Crooks is easily the most talented scorer in the portal so far. She led the nation in scoring this season with 25.8 points per game and also averaged 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Despite her individual accomplishments, Crooks never played in the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament with Iowa State.
The 6-foot guard from South Carolina has one year of eligibility left after spending two seasons with Kim Caldwell’s Lady Vols. Cooper led Tennessee in scoring this season with 16.1 points per game and shot a career-best 34.3% from 3-point land. She’s a two-time All-SEC selection.
Williams has one year of eligibility left after spending two seasons at Arizona and this past year at Iowa State. With the Cyclones, she ranked third nationally in assists per game with 7.7 and also posted 15.3 points per game.
The versatile junior forward will spend her senior season elsewhere after three years with the Cyclones. A two-time All-Big 12 selection, Brown averages 13.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists while shooting 36.7% from 3-point land for her career.
The sophomore guard was promoted to a starting role this season at NC State. A volume shooter, she showed the ability to score in bunches for the Wolfpack against marquee opponents, dropping 30 points in a first-round NCAA Tournament win over Tennessee and scoring 26 points in a road overtime loss at Oklahoma.
A Jordan Brand and McDonald’s All-American as a high school prospect, McMiller will play for her third school in as many seasons after spending her sophomore campaign with the Nittany Lions. She was 12th nationally in scoring this year with 21.6 points per game. The 5-foot-8 guard began her career at Rutgers.
A two-time All-Ivy selection, St. Rose has one year of eligibility remaining after averaging 15.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists in her final season at Princeton.
One of the youngest sophomores in the country, Grant reclassified to join the Tar Heels a year early. She’s with Team USA at the youth level, was 2024 Virginia High School Player of the Year and an ESPN top 100 recruit. Grant emerged as a starter for the Tar Heels this season and averaged 10.8 points and 2.3 assists per game. She shot 41.9% from 3-point land, which ranked 21st nationally.
The junior guard led the Cougars to their first NCAA Tournament appearance this season and scored 36 points against Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium in a first-round loss. She ranked 17th nationally in scoring this season with 20.1 points per game. Barbot was twice named CAA Player of the Year.
The 6-foot-1 Canadian forward was third in scoring and first in rebounding for the Cowgirls this season with 12.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Her 63.3% shooting clip from the floor ranked sixth nationally and she was ninth in points per scoring attempt with a mark of 1.31.
The MVP of the WAC Tournament, Barros was the bus driver for the Lancers as they made the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history. The 5-foot-9 redshirt junior guard from Portugal was the only player in the nation to average at least 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting better than 40% from 3-point land.
The Big Sky Rookie of the Year, White led the conference in scoring with 20.8 points per game, which also ranked 15th nationally. She also led the Big Sky in minutes played and 3-point shooting at a 36.5% clip.
The sophomore guard averaged 12.8 points and 5.4 assists per game off the bench for the Cowgirls this season. She ranked 10th nationally in assists per 40 minutes with 7.7. Wooten made the All-Big 12 Freshman Team last season.
A former All-Missouri Valley Conference selection at Illinois State and averaged 14.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists for the Tigers this season.
An All-ACC freshman team selection, Brown — a native of Baltimore — did a little bit of everything for the Demon Deacons, averaging 9.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 42.1% from 3-point land. She’s a published author and scored more than 2,000 points in high school.
The 5-foot-10 guard from Maryland was voted the Sixth Player of the Year in the Atlantic 10 after averaging 10.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game as a freshman.
The 6-foot-2 guard from Australia has one year of eligibility left after spending three seasons with the Orange. Burrows shot 39% from 3-point land last season as a sophomore and this year averaged 11.1 points per game.
The 5-foot-10 junior guard from Idaho will transfer for the second time in her collegiate career after averaging 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game for the Cowgirls this season. Whiting previously played two seasons at BYU and shoots 40% from the floor for her career.
The 5-foot-9 guard from Ohio averaged 15.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game from the Seminoles.
Ranked as the 37th recruit by ESPN in the 2025 class, Lampley averaged 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs this season. She shot 50% from the floor and 37% from 3-point land.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ranking best players in women's college basketball transfer portal
Continue reading...
This is a change from last season, when the portal opened for 30 days after the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The transfer window is also shorter this year, open for 15 days.
As coaches predicted, moving and shortening the window will neither stop players from announcing their intentions to enter the portal, nor stop their agents from communicating with teams.
"I have several transfers on my team now, but I'm also going to lose six seniors," UCLA coach Cori Close said. "We're going to be very proactive in the transfer portal. We're probably going to sign five transfers."
Last season saw several stars of women’s basketball transfer. Olivia Miles went from Notre Dame to TCU, MiLaysia Fulwiley from South Carolina to LSU, Ta’Niya Latson from South Carolina to Florida State and Cotie McMahon from Ohio State to Ole Miss.
USA TODAY Sports will rank the best players in the portal as they announce their intentions to transfer. Here are the top 20 players who have entered the portal. Click for the top 40.
1. Audi Crooks, Iowa State
A two-time All-American and three-time All-Big 12 selection, Crooks is easily the most talented scorer in the portal so far. She led the nation in scoring this season with 25.8 points per game and also averaged 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Despite her individual accomplishments, Crooks never played in the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament with Iowa State.
2. Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee
The 6-foot guard from South Carolina has one year of eligibility left after spending two seasons with Kim Caldwell’s Lady Vols. Cooper led Tennessee in scoring this season with 16.1 points per game and shot a career-best 34.3% from 3-point land. She’s a two-time All-SEC selection.
3. Jada Williams, Iowa State
Williams has one year of eligibility left after spending two seasons at Arizona and this past year at Iowa State. With the Cyclones, she ranked third nationally in assists per game with 7.7 and also posted 15.3 points per game.
4. Addy Brown, Iowa State
The versatile junior forward will spend her senior season elsewhere after three years with the Cyclones. A two-time All-Big 12 selection, Brown averages 13.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists while shooting 36.7% from 3-point land for her career.
5. Zam Jones, NC State
The sophomore guard was promoted to a starting role this season at NC State. A volume shooter, she showed the ability to score in bunches for the Wolfpack against marquee opponents, dropping 30 points in a first-round NCAA Tournament win over Tennessee and scoring 26 points in a road overtime loss at Oklahoma.
6. Kiyomi McMiller, Penn State
A Jordan Brand and McDonald’s All-American as a high school prospect, McMiller will play for her third school in as many seasons after spending her sophomore campaign with the Nittany Lions. She was 12th nationally in scoring this year with 21.6 points per game. The 5-foot-8 guard began her career at Rutgers.
7. Madison St. Rose, Princeton
A two-time All-Ivy selection, St. Rose has one year of eligibility remaining after averaging 15.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists in her final season at Princeton.
8. Lanie Grant, North Carolina
One of the youngest sophomores in the country, Grant reclassified to join the Tar Heels a year early. She’s with Team USA at the youth level, was 2024 Virginia High School Player of the Year and an ESPN top 100 recruit. Grant emerged as a starter for the Tar Heels this season and averaged 10.8 points and 2.3 assists per game. She shot 41.9% from 3-point land, which ranked 21st nationally.
9. Taryn Barbot, Charleston
The junior guard led the Cougars to their first NCAA Tournament appearance this season and scored 36 points against Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium in a first-round loss. She ranked 17th nationally in scoring this season with 20.1 points per game. Barbot was twice named CAA Player of the Year.
10. Achol Akot, Oklahoma State
The 6-foot-1 Canadian forward was third in scoring and first in rebounding for the Cowgirls this season with 12.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Her 63.3% shooting clip from the floor ranked sixth nationally and she was ninth in points per scoring attempt with a mark of 1.31.
11. Filipa Barros, Cal Baptist
The MVP of the WAC Tournament, Barros was the bus driver for the Lancers as they made the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history. The 5-foot-9 redshirt junior guard from Portugal was the only player in the nation to average at least 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting better than 40% from 3-point land.
12. Naomi White, Northern Arizona
The Big Sky Rookie of the Year, White led the conference in scoring with 20.8 points per game, which also ranked 15th nationally. She also led the Big Sky in minutes played and 3-point shooting at a 36.5% clip.
13. Jadyn Wooten, Oklahoma State
The sophomore guard averaged 12.8 points and 5.4 assists per game off the bench for the Cowgirls this season. She ranked 10th nationally in assists per 40 minutes with 7.7. Wooten made the All-Big 12 Freshman Team last season.
14. Shannon Dowell, Missouri
A former All-Missouri Valley Conference selection at Illinois State and averaged 14.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists for the Tigers this season.
15. Milan Brown, Wake Forest
An All-ACC freshman team selection, Brown — a native of Baltimore — did a little bit of everything for the Demon Deacons, averaging 9.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 42.1% from 3-point land. She’s a published author and scored more than 2,000 points in high school.
16. Vanessa Harris, Rhode Island
The 5-foot-10 guard from Maryland was voted the Sixth Player of the Year in the Atlantic 10 after averaging 10.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game as a freshman.
17. Sophie Burrows, Syracuse
The 6-foot-2 guard from Australia has one year of eligibility left after spending three seasons with the Orange. Burrows shot 39% from 3-point land last season as a sophomore and this year averaged 11.1 points per game.
18. Amari Whiting, Oklahoma State
The 5-foot-10 junior guard from Idaho will transfer for the second time in her collegiate career after averaging 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game for the Cowgirls this season. Whiting previously played two seasons at BYU and shoots 40% from the floor for her career.
19. Solé Williams, Florida State
The 5-foot-9 guard from Ohio averaged 15.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game from the Seminoles.
20. Jaylah Lampley, Mississippi State
Ranked as the 37th recruit by ESPN in the 2025 class, Lampley averaged 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs this season. She shot 50% from the floor and 37% from 3-point land.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ranking best players in women's college basketball transfer portal
Continue reading...
