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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.
USA Today
08-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking top 10 players in women's college basketball ahead of March Madness
Ranking top 10 players in women's college basketball ahead of March Madness Show Caption Hide Caption Kiki Rice reflects on being a female athlete and the growing popularity of women's sports Kiki Rice reflects on women's sports as a whole, what it mean's to be a female basketball player, and how she expects it to grow in the future. Sports Seriously March Madness is rapidly approaching and the women's field is wide open. No. 1 Texas, No. 2 USC, No. 3 UConn, No. 4 UCLA, No. 5 South Carolina and No. 6 Notre Dame have emerged as top contenders for the NCAA Tournament title, but there isn't a clear favorite. USC has wins over UCLA and UConn, but lost to Notre Dame. UConn dropped matchups against Notre Dame and USC, but blew out South Carolina. South Carolina also had losses against UCLA, but split the regular-season series against Texas. Texas also dropped a game against Notre Dame. You get the picture — it's anyone's game. The NCAA Tournament championship is going to come down to stellar performances from the best players on the court. Who are those players? Here are the top 10 players in women's college basketball with March Madness weeks away: MARCH MADNESS: Women's bracket predictions, seeding for who gets in women's NCAA Tournament The best players in women's college basketball All stats entering play Wednesday. 10. Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt 2024-25 stats: 23.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.1 APG, 2.5 SPG, 46.4 FG%, 35 3PT% (30 games) The freshman guard etched her name in the history books when she broke the NCAA freshman single-game scoring record with 53 points in Vanderbilt's 99-86 win over Florida on Jan. 3. She broke the record again with a career-high 55 points in the Commodores' 98–88 overtime win over Auburn in February. Blakes was named the SEC's Freshman of the Year and was named a finalist for the Naismith Hall of Fame's Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, given to the nation's top shooting guard. 9. Georgia Amoore, Kentucky 2024-25 stats: 18.8 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 6.9 APG, 42.4 FG%, 32.2 3PT% (28 games) New division, no problem. Amoore followed former Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks to Kentucky and the move proved beneficial for Amoore. The 5-foot-6 guard scored in double digits in all but one game this season and leads the SEC in assists per game (6.9). Amoore, who is third in the nation with 192 total assists on the season, is 18 assists away from setting a new single-season record at Kentucky. She was rightfully named the SEC's Newcomer of the Year. 8. Ta'Niya Latson, Florida State 2024-25 stats: 25.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.7 APG, 2.2 SPG, 45.8 FG%, 35.5 3PT% (26 games) Latson is the top scorer in the nation at 25.4 points per game and is a key piece to the Seminoles having the highest-scoring offense in the country (88.2 ppg). Latson has recorded at least 20 points in 23 of 26 games this season. She had six 30-point games this year and a career-high 40-point performance against Virginia Tech on Jan. 2. Latson became the fastest player in Florida State basketball history to score 2,000 points this season and picked up her third All-ACC First Team selection. She's also a finalist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award. 7. Aneesah Morrow, LSU 2024-25 stats: 18.2 PPG, 14 RPG, 1.4 APG, 2.5 SPG, 48.5 FG%, 27.6 3PT% (30 games) Angel Reese's departure from LSU left Barbie-sized shoes to fill in Baton Rouge. Morrow has stepped up to the plate. The 6-foot-1 forward is a double-double machine who leads the nation in rebounds per game (14) and double-doubles (26). Morrow is LSU's second-leading scorer, behind guard Flau'Jae Johnson (18.9 ppg). The Tigers are looking to rebound after dropping their final two games of the regular season to Alabama and Ole Miss, marking the team's first back-to-back losses of the season. 6. Madison Booker, Texas 2024-25 stats: 16 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, 46.4 FG%, 41.7 3PT% (30 games) Texas earned the No. 1 ranking in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, in large part thanks to Booker's sophomore campaign. The 6-foot-1 forward recorded 20 or more points in 11 games this season and increased her efficiency from the 3-point line, improving from 30.6% beyond the arc to 41.7% this season. Texas may have lost the No. 1 seed in the SEC tournament to South Carolina by way of a coin toss, but the Longhorns head into the postseason with lots of momentum after six straight wins against ranked opponents, including South Carolina, LSU and Kentucky. Booker averaged 21.5 points per game during that span and was named the SEC's Player of the Year. The Longhorns will be looking to improve on their Elite Eight finish last year. 5. Lauren Betts, UCLA 2024-25 stats: 19.7 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 2.7 APG, 2.8 BPG, 62.4 FG% (26 games) The 6-foot-7 center is a dominant force in the paint and was unanimously named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year after setting UCLA's single-season blocks record (73). She also broke the university's single-game blocks record with nine blocked shots in UCLA's win over Baylor on Jan. 20. Betts is averaging a career-high 2.8 blocks per game, the most in the conference, and her 9.9 rebounds per game marks a career-high. She had 16 double-doubles this season. UCLA ended the season with a disappointing 80-67 loss to USC, where Betts was held to 11 points and 11 rebounds on her home court, but the Bruins will attempt to shake off the thumping and make it further than their Sweet 16 finish in last year's NCAA Tournament. 4. Olivia Miles, Notre Dame 2024-25 stats: 16.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.9 APG, 50.9 FG%, 41.6 3PT% (29 games) Miles missed the entire 2023-24 season due to a knee injury, but made a statement in her first game back with a 20-point, 10-rebound and 10-assist triple-double to open the season on Nov. 4. She became the first player in ACC history to record back-to-back triple-doubles a month later against Loyola and Virginia. Miles' three triple-doubles lead the nation. The floor general also leads the ACC in assists per game (5.9). Notre Dame stumbled to the finish line, dropping back-to-back games to NC State and Florida State in late February, but expect Miles to dazzle in her first NCAA Tournament since 2023. 3. Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame 2024-25 stats: 24.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.8 APG, 3.7 SPG, 46.4 FG%, 40.1 3PT% (27 games) Notre Dame's backcourt has been the best in women's basketball all season long, so you can't have Miles on the list of best players without also having her partner-in-crime. Hidalgo is the third-leading scorer in the nation at 24.2 points per game and ranks fourth in the country in steals (3.7 per game). Hidalgo was named the ACC's Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year (for the second consecutive season), becoming only the third player in ACC history to win both in the same season. 2. Paige Bueckers, UConn 2024-25 stats: 18.6 PPG, 5.0 APG, 4.5 RPG, 53.4 FG%, 40.8 3PT% (29 games) The 2025 WNBA draft isn't called the Paige Bueckers sweepstakes for nothing. Bueckers burst onto the scene in 2021 with a breakout freshman campaign that earned her AP Player of the Year and Naismith College Player of the Year honors. Although a string of injuries forced Bueckers to miss significant time, including the entire 2022-23 season with an ACL tear, the fifth-year senior guard has returned to form and is looking to lead the Huskies to the Final Four for the fourth time in her career. Bueckers is currently UConn women's basketball's sixth all-time leading scorer with 2,223 points and is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick of the draft. 1. JuJu Watkins, USC 2024-25 stats: 24.4 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 42.9 FG%, 33.9 3PT% (28 games) Watkins cemented herself as the best player in women's college basketball with a dominant 30-point performance in USC's 80-67 win over rival UCLA to claim the regular-season title and No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Conference tournament. She went on to be named Big Ten Player of the Year for good reason. Watkins became the fastest USC player to reach 1,000 career points (38 games) in November and has the Trojans primed for a run at the national championship after winning eight straight games against ranked opponents, including UConn, UCLA and Maryland. Did we mention she's only a sophomore? Honorable Mentions LSU G Flau'Jae Johnson: 18.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.4 APG, 46.5 FG%, 37.2 3PT% (30 games) 18.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.4 APG, 46.5 FG%, 37.2 3PT% (30 games) TCU C Sedona Prince : 17.6 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 3.1 BPG, 59.2 FG% (30 games) : 17.6 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 3.1 BPG, 59.2 FG% (30 games) South Carolina G Te-Hina Paopao: 10.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 45.7 FG%, 38.2 3PT% (30 games) 10.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 45.7 FG%, 38.2 3PT% (30 games) Kansas State G Serena Sundell: 13.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 7.1 APG, 48.8 FG%, 29.7 3PT% (31 games) The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How to watch Michigan State women's basketball vs. Michigan
The Michigan State women's basketball team returns to action after a week off when it hosts rival Michigan on Sunday at Breslin Center. The game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. ET. Sunday's game marks the second meeting between the programs this season. The No. 20-ranked Spartans won the earlier matchup between the programs 88-58 in Ann Arbor on Jan. 25. MSU has won three straight in the series between the programs and is looking for its first four-game winning streak against the Wolverines since it accomplished the feat from March 2015 through March 2017. MSU (18-4, 8-3) is coming off a road victory over Northwestern on Feb. 2. Michigan (16-7, 7-5) has won two straight and is coming off a 78-60 victory over Nebraska on Thursday. Sunday marks the 102nd meeting between the programs with the Spartans leading the all-time series 76-25. More: Michigan State women's basketball seeking rivalry sweep of Michigan: 'It means more' More: MSU women's basketball's Grace VanSlooten makes top 10 for Cheryl Miller Award Game time: 2 p.m. ET, Sunday, Feb. 9 TV: FS1 Announcers Sloane Martin and Christy Winters Scott will call the action Radio: Spartan Media Network, More: MSU women's basketball: Julia Ayrault makes watch list for Ann Meyers Drysdale Award This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: How to watch Michigan State women's basketball vs. Michigan
USA Today
04-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles finalists for guard awards
Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles finalists for guard awards Notre Dame guards Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles have done so much during their collegiate careers that it's hard to keep up with it all. That includes all the honors they have accumulated. Some national awards soon could be theirs. The Basketball Hall of Fame has named Hidalgo one of 10 finalists for this year's Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, which is presented every year to the top shooting guard in the country. This is not to be confused with the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award given by the USBWA, for which both Hidalgo and Miles were named to the midseason watch list. This award first was given in 2018 and has yet to be won by a Notre Dame player. Miles is one of 10 finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which is given to the country's top point guard. Skylar Diggins is the only Irish player to win the award, doing so in 2012 and 2013 Both players have done well, especially together in games like this: Best of luck to these two in trying to prove they are worthy of their respective awards. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions. Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89.
