As the women’s college basketball transfer portal unfolds, teams are separating themselves through key additions and departures.
At Hoops HQ and The Portal Report, we’ve ranked some of the winners and losers of this cycle.
Winners
Oklahoma State
The Cowgirls have dominated the portal, landing three of the biggest names in the country in Iowa State junior center Audi Crooks, Florida sophomore guard Liv McGill and Fort Hays State junior guard Talexa Weeter.
The moves headline not just Oklahoma State’s class, but the entire transfer portal cycle. Crooks arrives as the No. 1 transfer in the nation, McGill brings elite production at more than 22 points per game and Weeter comes in as the Division II Player of the Year, giving Oklahoma State a loaded trio of proven players.
Under Jacie Hoyt, the Cowgirls are building something special, and something is brewing in Stillwater. This will undoubtedly be the team to keep an eye on next season.
Arizona State
Arizona State has quietly put together a strong portal class, bringing in multiple Power Five contributors to bolster its backcourt. The Sun Devils added junior guard Ruby Whitehorn, who dealt with issues at Tennessee but is ready to erase her past and focus on her future. They’ve also added Michigan State senior guard Rashunda Jones, giving them experienced scoring and perimeter depth right away.
With a focused group of proven guards coming in, Arizona State has addressed key needs and looks positioned to take a step forward this season.
North Carolina
With Courtney Banghart at the helm, the Tar Heels are looking to build on a strong NCAA Tournament run and remain competitive in the ACC, using portal reinforcements to keep their momentum going.
Key additions such as Oklahoma State senior forward Achol Akot and Stanford junior guard Chloe Clardy prove the Tar Heels are attempting to build on their success. Both are proven contributors who bring immediate impact on both ends.
Notre Dame
Notre Dame is in the winning column after landing one of the portal’s top guards in Princeton senior Madison St. Rose, giving the Irish a proven scorer and playmaker to pair with their returning core.
With Niele Ivey leading the way and superstar guard Hannah Hidalgo, a future top-10 WNBA pick, running the show, the Fighting Irish always have a fighting chance.
Ole Miss
Ole Miss is one of the clear winners of this portal cycle after loading up with impact talent across the board. The Rebels added junior guard Talaysia Cooper, LSU transfer Jada Richard and former five-star Jaida Civil, along with frontcourt pieces like Illinois State sophomore forward Doneelah Washington and UMBC junior forward Jade Tillman, giving them both good production and depth.
With multiple Power Five contributors and upside plays entering the fold, the Rebels didn’t just fill gaps, they elevated their ceiling and look built to make real noise in the SEC.
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Losers
Florida
Florida is a clear loser. The Gators watched a majority of their roster leave, headlined by Liv McGill, one of the nation’s most productive guards.
Laila Reynolds, forward Me’Arah O’Neal (the daughter of NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal) plus a wave of additional departures pushed the total to 10. McGill alone averaged more than 22 points per game and carried the offense, making her exit especially damaging.
Now first-year head coach Tammi Reiss is left trying to rebuild almost from scratch. Her track record at Rhode Island is strong, which gives Gators fans reason to believe she can right this ship.
Penn State
After one of the most complete roster collapses in the country, with 10 players entering the portal and wiping out nearly the entire core, to say the Lady Lions are rebuilding would be an understatement.
Leading scorer Kiyomi McMiller is already on the move, while sharpshooter Moriah Murray has committed to Florida and center Gracie Merkle finally entered the portal after testing it last year before returning. With that level of talent and continuity gone, Penn State fans are looking at one of the most depleted teams in the country.
Texas
The Longhorns find themselves on the wrong side of the portal after losing a significant chunk of their core, including Jordan Lee, Aaliyah Crump, Rori Harmon, Aaliyah Moore and Justice Carlton.
After back-to-back Final Four exits, head coach Vic Schaefer now faces a steep climb to get the Longhorns over the hump. While the addition of Zya Vann, a sophomore guard from Oklahoma, and the return of Madison Booker provide some stability, this group won’t look like the Texas teams that made those deep runs.
Stanford
Stanford falls into the loser category after a full roster reset, with Nunu Agara, Lara Somfai, Chloe Clardy, Courtney Ogden and three others all departing through the portal.
Under Kate Paye, the Cardinal have hovered around the middle of the pack, posting winning records but failing to turn that into NCAA Tournament berths. Now Paye heads into year three with even more uncertainty. In recent years, Stanford has brought in high-level talent like Kiki Iriafen, Lauren Betts and Cameron Brink, but outside of Brink and Iriafen they have struggled to retain star players, turning strong recruiting classes into short stays.
With much of the roster gone, Paye has her work cut out to get Stanford back to national and ACC relevance.
Iowa State
Iowa State is in a tough spot and this shouldn’t come as a surprise. After losing its core trio of Audi Crooks, Jada Williams and Addy Brown, a group that drove nearly everything the Cyclones did on both ends, Iowa State’s dominant Big 12 run may be over.
The Cyclones have brought in a decent group of replacements through the portal, highlighted by Sienna Harvey from Washington and scoring guard Mya Babbitt from Kent State, but it’s tough to ignore what they’ve lost. Crooks helped elevate this program, and her departure is going to be felt in a major way. Her level of production is not easily replaced, and with the amount of records she shattered, this team is staring at a steep drop.
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