Women's college basketball's post-transfer top 25: Is UConn still on top? Did LSU jump?
With most transfers having landed at their destinations, it's time to relook at the way-too-early top-25 ranking from the end of the season. A few weeks remain for players to go into the portal, which has seen 1,500 entrants.
The rich got richer in many cases (hello, UConn and South Carolina), but a few teams enjoyed successful transfer hauls that ushered them into the top 25 (welcome, Maryland).
Let's get to it:
Dropped out: Vanderbilt, Ohio State, Mississippi State, Illinois
The Huskies added Wisconsin transfer Serah Williams, perhaps the most sought-after transfer because of her unique skills and size. Her inside abilities would have allowed her to fit into most teams pretty seamlessly. Joining the reigning champs? Not bad. She'll solidify the interior, where the Huskies struggled with Jana El Alfy's and Ice Brady's foul troubles, while freeing up Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong's playmaking.
Advertisement
South Carolina's additions of Ta'Niya Latson and Madina Okot impressed and intrigued. The Gamecocks, who largely take a committee approach, adding the nation's leading scorer was no small feat. Latson attempted 20 shots a game last season, nearly twice as many as the Gamecocks' leader in field goal attempts. She will be playing in a different system with different expectations, but nobody goes to South Carolina without understanding how its system works. Expect her shot numbers to decrease, but unlike at Florida State, she'll have a shot at a national title.
A superhero with superpowers 🦸♀️
That's Ta'Niya for ya 👇 pic.twitter.com/ed1FVg3FYZ
— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) May 1, 2025
Okot's commitment made me consider flip-flopping the top of the rankings. At 6-foot-6, she's the paint presence, rim-protecting player South Carolina lacked last season. She has a chance to be one of the most impactful transfers in the country next season.
By acquiring South Carolina's MiLaysia Fulwiley and Notre Dame's Kate Koval, LSU made the biggest jump in the top 10. Questions around Baton Rouge — with Fulwiley, Flau'jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams in the backcourt — might echo what we heard in South Bend a year ago: Is there enough basketball to go around? But on multiple occasions, Tigers coach Kim Mulkey has melded formidable teams made of players with big games. She might now have the SEC's — and maybe the country's — best and most exciting backcourt. We just watched two backcourt-heavy teams advance to the national championship game this season, so perhaps it's a bit of recency bias, but the Tigers look pretty darn promising. Ask me again after they've played no one outstanding in nonconference competition (argh) and we'll see, but I like how the roster has shaped up going into the 2025-26 season.
Last year at this time, I thought Tennessee might miss the NCAA Tournament. I wasn't sure how new coach Kim Caldwell's system would work against power conference opponents or whether players would buy into her hockey substitution patterns. One Sweet 16 later … here we are.
With its core returning and ESPN's No. 2 high school recruiting class incoming, Caldwell didn't need to add. But bringing in Janiah Barker (UCLA), Jersey Wolfenbarger (LSU) and Nya Roberston (SMU) is far more about bolstering the athleticism and versatility on her roster rather than just adding players. I love Tennessee's prospects with Barker and think she could thrive in Caldwell's fast-paced system. Robertson's 3-point shooting took a dip last season, but if she gets it back to 34 or 35 percent, she'll be in business.
the sky's the limit. pic.twitter.com/UAsg6QktLc
— Lady Vols Basketball (@LadyVol_Hoops) April 23, 2025
UCLA had last season's No. 4 high school recruiting class, inking three top-30 players and five-star international guard Elina Aarnisalo. Today, the Bruins don't have a single rising sophomore on their roster as each of those freshmen transferred (along with Barker and Londynn Jones). Yet UCLA remains not just in great positioning but a spot higher due to 3-point sharpshooter Gianna Kneepkens' commitment.
Advertisement
The 45-percent 3-point shooter adds an element to the Bruins' offense that makes them tougher to defend while providing a counterweight to Lauren Betts. Coach Cori Close has managed to keep most of this core together for a potential repeat Final Four run — and that's to be commended. When this entire group graduates, who knows if there will be players coming behind it. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. For now, the Bruins hold serve and remain in the top five.
When the season ended, Maryland was outside the top 25 after losing Shyanne Sellers, Sarah Te-Biasu and Christina Dalce to the WNBA and graduation. Kaylene Smikle returned for next season, and Bri McDaniel will come back at some point after recovering from her torn ACL in January. But those two didn't offer enough talent to boost Maryland into the rankings. Enter: Oluchi Okananwa (Duke) and Yarden Garzon (Indiana). Suddenly, it looks like Maryland's offense — ranked 10th nationally in points per game (81) — might be even more high-scoring next season. Coach Brenda Frese also gets some benefit of the doubt here, considering this isn't her first rodeo with getting an instant return from incorporating several transfers onto a roster.
The top of the Big Ten doesn't look quite like I thought it would before next season, but those top five teams — UCLA, Michigan, Washington, Michigan State and Maryland — should all be very fun.
Yarden Garzon is heading to @TerpsWBB! 🐢#NCAAWBB x @YardenGarzon pic.twitter.com/bjlRi9RduW
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) April 29, 2025
Does any coach love the portal quite as much as TCU's Mark Campbell and Ole Miss' Yolett McPhee-McCuin (the self-proclaimed 'portalista')? Both teams saw turnover in terms of big minutes going to new players, but there's enough talent on each of these rosters to garner top-25 spots after being unranked in the initial way-too-early ranking.
After a historic Elite Eight run, TCU added Notre Dame's Olivia Miles, Cal's Marta Suarez and Kentucky's Clara Silva (a 6-7 center who was Clara Strack's backup last season), as well as three others. On paper, the group isn't as talented as last season's, but Miles is a point guard who can elevate everyone's play.
Advertisement
The crown jewel in Ole Miss' portal class is Ohio State transfer Cotie McMahon, who is no stranger to big stages and big moments. The relentless rebounder will be an instant impact player to the Rebels, who made a Sweet 16 run last season. She'll be joined by seven other transfers, including Mississippi State starters Denim DeShields and Debreasha Powe.
(Photo of MiLaysia Fulwiley: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
32 minutes ago
- Washington Post
From baseball cards to big leagues: Jac Caglianone makes his home debut for the Royals vs Yankees
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jac Caglianone spent his first day off in his new home city searching for someplace to live. And buying baseball cards. Just what you might expect from a 22-year-old prospect — one of the best in the game — who was still playing college ball about this time last year, and who just made his big league debut for the Royals last week. Caglianone played three games in St. Louis and three against the White Sox in Chicago before finally making it back to Kansas City on Sunday night.
Washington Post
32 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Soto stares down Gore and helps Mets rally past Nationals in extra innings
NEW YORK — Juan Soto is starting to feel it. Following a May slump that dropped his batting average to .224, the New York Mets slugger has eight hits in his last four games. And when he homered Tuesday night at Citi Field, he stared down Washington Nationals pitcher MacKenzie Gore a couple of times while rounding the bases.
Washington Post
32 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Dodgers' pitching injury woes culminate in a punt. Matt Sauer takes one for the team in 11-1 blowout
SAN DIEGO — The Los Angeles Dodgers have 14 pitchers making more than $100 million combined this season on their injured list, They've been signing, promoting, playing and releasing pitchers almost daily as they engage in a perpetual scramble to assemble enough healthy arms to compete. When the Dodgers fell behind in the third inning Tuesday night while desperately short of options on the mound, the defending World Series champions essentially decided to punt a game away to the San Diego Padres. Matt Sauer, a 26-year-old minor leaguer getting his fourth callup already this season, threw 111 pitches while giving up 13 hits, three walks and nine runs and facing 30 batters in the Padres' 11-1 victory . The Dodgers allowed Sauer to pitch 4 2/3 innings with nothing close to his best stuff, and the Padres' loaded lineup feasted on him while turning a much-anticipated rivalry game into a laugher. Utilityman Kiké Hernández then took the mound during the sixth and pitched the final 2 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run while throwing 36 pitches — none faster than 57 mph. Manager Dave Roberts grimly acknowledged that the Dodgers essentially had to give up on trying to win this game after falling behind 3-0 in the third inning. 'You've just got to look at where our 'pen is at, and appreciate what we have the next couple of days,' Roberts said. 'I felt it just wasn't smart to chase and red-line guys. I've got to give credit to Matt. That was as much as he's ever pitched, and (he) essentially took it for the team to try and stay away from other guys and give us a chance to win a series. That's what we came in here to do, and we're in position to do that.' Indeed, the Dodgers used four high-leverage relievers for five total innings while hanging on for their 8-7 victory over the Padres in 10 innings on Monday night. That left the bullpen weary behind Lou Trivino, who went out as the opener Tuesday and threw one hitless inning. The Dodgers' rotation is profoundly patchwork. With Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Tony Gonsolin and Gavin Stone headlining the list of potential starters sidelined by injury — and with Shohei Ohtani still proceeding quite deliberately in his mound comeback — Los Angeles can currently send out Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 37-year-old Clayton Kershaw and Dustin May. The other two spots in the rotation are being filled by temporary callups and/or bullpen games. The Dodgers didn't even want to try a bullpen game Tuesday after falling behind early, since Roberts thought it would be more prudent to have his bullpen largely available Wednesday when Justin Wrobleski — another rotation filler by the desperate Dodgers — takes the mound. 'It's where our staff is at right now as far as who's available, who's not,' Roberts said. 'Who we can kind of push, who we can't. And these are the starters we have, so we've got to go with it and make the best.' Sauer accepted his bizarre fate, realizing the Dodgers needed his arm to fill innings while they regrouped. 'I've just got to be better with locating the ball,' said Sauer, who signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers last winter. 'I wouldn't necessarily say (it's) a pride thing. I know my role is to eat up innings, and I feel like I've got the frame and the repertoire to do that, and I'm going to go out there and compete every time.' Everyone recognizes that the deep-pocketed Dodgers' success over the past several years has happened despite a jaw-dropping slew of major pitching injuries. Last season was similar to this campaign, with practically every pitcher on the roster missing large chunks of the season and postseason. Los Angeles won the World Series last season with an October starting rotation of late-season acquisition Jack Flaherty, Yamamoto (who missed three months of the regular season) and Walker Buehler (who also missed three months) supported by multiple bullpen games. Flaherty and Buehler then left in free agency. Roberts disagreed with the notion that the Dodgers' unlikely success with bullpen games last season — particularly in the NLDS against the Padres — could have given them false confidence in their ability to solve these major pitching woes with that strategy. 'Today wasn't really a bullpen day,' Roberts said. 'If you look at last year, certain games, you have nine guys that you have available, and we certainly didn't have that today. Somebody was going to have to take three to five innings. We weren't in that situation last year, so I don't think that's a fair comparison. When you get behind, you've got to kind of just ride it out.' ___ AP MLB:
