The portal is open. The exoduses have begun. Let the madness continue.
Within the first day of the portal’s opening, more than 1,000 Division I players had entered — that’s roughly an NCAA Tournament’s worth of rosters looking for a new home. Here’s a look at the players expected to be the most coveted in this recruitment period.
Notes: Players are only included if they’ve actually already entered the portal, not if they announced they intend to do so. Years in school are listed as current years ahead of transfer.
1. Audi CrooksIowa State junior center
25.8 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.7 APG
An impressive part of Crooks’ game this season is her increased efficiency despite Cyclones teammate Addy Brown spending a good chunk of time on the bench, allowing teams to home in on Crooks even more. Crooks was the nation’s second-leading scorer this season and a dominant inside force on offense, opening up outside opportunities for teammates. (Iowa State averaged eight 3-pointers a game this year.)
It’ll be interesting to see where she lands and if she skews toward a pacing and style like Iowa State, or if she opts for something different. This situation seems similar to Raegan Beers’ transfer portal recruitment — the 6-foot-4 center played in a slower, drain-the-clock system at Oregon State before transferring to Oklahoma, the fastest team in the country (literally no team played more possessions a game the last two seasons than the Sooners). So just because there seems like an obvious style fit for Crooks doesn’t necessarily mean that’s where she’ll end up.
Potential fits: Minnesota, UNC, Texas
2. Liv McGillFlorida sophomore guard
22.5 PPG, 6.3 APG, 6.1 RPG, 2.6 steals per game
After being spotted at Tammi Reiss’ introductory press conference at Florida, many assumed McGill might stay put. Not so fast. McGill is in the portal and ready to find a new home. She’s a 5-9 facilitator and creator who has no problem finding her own shot in the paint. She shot 50 percent on 2s this season and scored 57 percent of her points off pick-and-rolls, per Synergy. She’s not much of a 3-point shooter (26 percent this season), but with her ability to create, score inside and defend on the perimeter, she’s an excellent pick up for a team seeking an instant spark.
Potential fits: Texas, LSU
3. Jordan LeeTexas sophomore guard
13.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.5 SPG
Lee was the Longhorns’ best 3-point threat this season (35 percent on five attempts per game) and a fierce two-way player. Because of those two factors, her ability to fit within a slew of other systems seems pretty natural. She’s a Southern California native, so could we see her head back home? Or is she hoping to expand her game to give her more tape for potential WNBA scouts? She’ll be a big target and has two more years of eligibility.
Potential fits: UCLA, Oklahoma, Duke, South Carolina
4. Aaliyah CrumpTexas freshman guard
7.9 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.0 SPG
Crump played less than 18 minutes a game this season, but her presence was felt on the floor. She’s a 6-1 big guard who plays both ends of the floor, and with three years of eligibility remaining, she can grow with a program. She chose Texas over Duke and Ohio State back when she was the No. 5 player in the 2025 class, so those programs could be in the mix, but keep the other three Final Four finalists in mind, too. She’d be a natural fit almost anywhere.
Potential fits: UCLA, Duke, UConn, Ohio State, South Carolina
5. Kymora JohnsonVirginia junior guard
19.5 PPG, 5.9 APG, 4.5 RPG, 2.1 spg
Johnson is the full package — she’s an excellent 3-point shooter (36 percent on high volume this season) with deep range, and she has good finishing ability at the rim. At 5-7, she’s not the tallest guard, but she’s sturdy, and her motor is off the charts. (She played every minute of the Cavaliers’ double-overtime upset of Iowa in the second round.) Johnson grew up in Charlottesville, Va., and UVA was her dream school — she was a UVA ball girl as a kid — so it’ll be fascinating to see where she decides to go for her final season when it feels like this is her opportunity to get on a roster that could compete for a national title and put some film together for a future pro career.
Potential fits: UCLA, TCU, Kentucky, South Carolina
6. Dani CarnegieGeorgia sophomore guard
17.8 PPG, 3.2 APG, 5.3 RPG, 1.4 SPG
Carnegie will be on her third school in three years, but that’s not necessarily that wild in this day of college sports. She’s a two-way guard who shot 35 percent on 3-pointers this year (while taking seven attempts a game). She rebounds and defends well and, already as a junior, has experience in the ACC and SEC. It’ll be interesting to see if the New York native decides to head closer to home after spending her first two seasons in the state of Georgia. As Gary Redus, the former LSU assistant, rebuilds as the new head coach at Rutgers, could he convince Carnegie — who dropped 24 points on the Tigers this season — to come back to the Northeast?
Potential fits: Rutgers, UCLA, TCU
7. Jada WilliamsIowa State junior guard
15.3 PPG, 7.7 APG, 3.5 RPG
Williams was initially committed to UCLA before signing with Arizona before her freshman year and then transferring to Iowa State. So, could she be headed back to the L.A. area? (She attended high school in San Diego.) Williams is an elite facilitator who was third in assists among power conference players this season, and she can also get her own bucket. She might not be the most consistent 3-point shooter, but inside the arc she’s dangerous, and that’s where she’s able to best create for teammates, too.
Potential fits: UCLA, USC, Texas, South Carolina
8. Addy BrownIowa State junior forward
11.9 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 5.3 APG
Brown is a unique player in the portal. There simply aren’t many 6-2 forwards like her who can handle physicality and contact on the inside as well as have the vision to make the passes she can. Her 3-point shooting percentage was a career low this season, but over the past three seasons, she has knocked down nearly 37 percent of her shots from behind the arc. She’s a dynamic threat with 89 career starts. Brown would be an asset on any roster.
Potential fits: Louisville, UCLA
9. Justice CarltonTexas sophomore forward
8.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.1 SPG
Carlton is a fascinating prospect in the portal. She started 28 games for the Longhorns this season and was an efficient player (she averaged only 19 minutes a game). She’s a strong offensive rebounder and has 3-point range even though she wasn’t asked to shoot many in Texas’ offensive system (9 of 19 from beyond the arc this season). She brings deep postseason experience — two Final Four trips — as well as a well-rounded game and two seasons of eligibility to her next roster.
Potential fits: UConn, Vanderbilt, UCLA
Sa’myah Smith is among Virginia’s high-profile transfers. (Harry How /Getty Images)
10. Sa’Myah SmithVirginia redshirt junior forward
7.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG
Smith has had a long journey in college hoops. She spent three seasons at LSU, where she won a national championship and then rehabbed after an ACL/MCL/meniscus tear. Then, this past season at Virginia, she had another small knee surgery. She has one season of college hoops left and has a chance to be an impactful interior presence, which is a need for a lot of top programs out there.
Potential fits: USC, TCU, Michigan, Notre Dame
11. Zam JonesNC State sophomore guard
14.9 PPG, 3.8 APG, 3.3 RPG, 1.2 SPG
Jones is a three-level scorer who started 30 games for the Wolfpack this season. She showed nice improvement from her freshman to sophomore seasons in field goal percentage, 3-point shooting and free throw percentage, so a continued jump into her junior season is expected. She’s undersized, so there are probably quite a few power conference rosters that might not be too high on her, but she’s an impactful player nonetheless. Would the North Carolina native want to stay in her home state or head elsewhere?
Potential fits: Arizona State, Maryland
12. Courtney OgdenStanford junior forward
12.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.1 APG
Ogden enters the portal as a grad transfer after three years at Stanford. She started all 35 games for the Cardinal this season and was an efficient, low-turnover player who defends well without fouling. She’s from Atlanta, so it’s possible she may play her final season closer to home. If not, programs like UCLA and Notre Dame (especially since she’s a grad transfer) would make great fits.
Potential fits: Notre Dame, UCLA, North Carolina
13. Elina AarnisaloUNC sophomore guard
10.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.9 APG
Aarnisalo played her freshman season at UCLA and her sophomore season at North Carolina, so she’ll be on her third school after hitting both coasts already. She’s a three-level scorer, shot 40 percent from range and is sturdy enough to battle inside for boards.
Potential fits: Iowa, Maryland
14. Lanie GrantNorth Carolina sophomore guard
10.8 PPG, 2.3 APG, 1.9 RPG
One of the best 3-point shooters available in the portal, Grant could be an easy addition to plenty of rosters. She shot 45 percent on spot-up 3-pointers this season and 42 percent overall from behind the arc (while attempting five triples a game). Plenty of teams are looking to refill their outside shooting needs, but UConn and Iowa seem like teams that could use a floor spacer.
Potential fits: UConn, Iowa, Vanderbilt
Tilda Trygger is a rare 6-6 center with a midrange game. She’ll have plenty of options. (Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
15. Tilda TryggerNC State sophomore center
10.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.3 BPG
Trygger’s growth from Year 1 to Year 2 at NC State should create optimism for her continued development over the next two years, and at the end of the day, you can’t teach height, and there aren’t that many 6-6 players in the portal. Offensively, she does most of her damage in the paint, but she’s a threat in the midrange, and she hit a handful of above-the-break and baseline 3-pointers this season, so she could continue to grow there. Defensively, she’s a great shot blocker and rim protector, and she doesn’t get into too much foul trouble (1.7 fouls per game). Like last season, bigs are going to be at a premium this offseason, so Trygger’s decision will be intriguing.
Potential fits: Michigan, Minnesota, Louisville
16. Carys BakerVirginia Tech junior forward
14.3PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.1 BPG
Baker is a three-level scoring forward who has shot 39 percent from beyond the arc during her three-year career. She has good length and versatility on defense and can make defensive plays without fouling. The Horned Frogs have plenty of needs to fill, and Baker seems like a great fit there. But could a delayed reunion with Kenny Brooks at Kentucky be in the future?
Potential fits: Kentucky, TCU
17. Nunu AgaraStanford junior forward
15.3 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.2 SPG
An efficient scorer inside the arc, a threat on the glass and a low-turnover forward make Agara one of the most intriguing transfer prospects. She committed to Stanford under Tara VanDerveer when the Cardinal were a perennial national power, but times have changed. However, Agara’s skill level, ceiling and ability to contribute immediately mean she can be on a national title-contending roster very soon. Agara graduated from Stanford in three years, which would make her addition to Notre Dame’s roster a possibility. (Its credit transferring system makes it tough for non-grad transfers to join the Irish).
Potential fits: Notre Dame, UCLA
18. Kaylene SmikleMaryland redshirt junior guard
13.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.6 APG
Smikle missed the majority of last season after undergoing a season-ending knee surgery, so the question of her health will be the biggest point of pause for anything related to her transfer. But assuming she’s fully healthy and ready to go, she’s an automatic bucket getter for rosters that need a big guard to do so. She’s very good in transition and an excellent spot up shooter, and before getting injured last season, she had really cut down on turnovers and upped her free-throw shooting percentage.
Potential fit: Duke, TCU, Oklahoma, Ole Miss
19. Madison St. RosePrinceton senior guard
15.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.1 SPG
Ivy League transfers have made the jump easily to power-conference rosters — Abby Meyers at Maryland, Kaitlyn Chen at UConn, McKenzie Forbes and Kayla Padilla at USC — so it’s no surprise to see all those programs as potential landing spots for St. Rose. She’s a big guard with a great ability to score in transition and in the pick-and-roll. She rebounds and defends well, and her main drawback is that she’s not much of a 3-point shooter. But in the right system and surrounded by the right players, that’s not a deal breaker.
Potential fit: UConn, USC, Notre Dame, Northwestern
20. Donovyn HunterTCU junior guard
10.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.3 SPG
Hunter is a big guard, a two-way player and someone who can score and facilitate in transition. She has played in multiple systems effectively, at Oregon State for a season and then TCU for two, so her versatility should be appealing to a range of coaches. She has also played in three consecutive Elite Eights, so she has that going for her, too.
Potential fits: Duke, UCLA
21. Taryn BarbotCharleston junior guard
20.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.3 SPG
Barbot is the best mid-major player in the portal. You might remember her as the player who dropped 36 points on Duke in a first-round game. She started 98 games for Charleston the past three seasons and will definitely get some looks. Brooks has room on Kentucky’s roster and has taken transfers from outside of the power conference ranks with success (Jordan Obi, Penn; Asia Boone, Liberty), so that could be a good fit, but it also wouldn’t be a surprise to see Barbot follow her coach to Pitt and play on Robin Harmony’s first ACC roster.
Potential fits: Pitt, Kentucky
Other names to watch: Kiyomi McMiller (Penn State), Essence Cody (Alabama), Solé Williams (FSU), Achol Akot (Oklahoma State), Addie Deal (Iowa), McKenzie Mathurin (Michigan), Inés Sotelo (Michigan State), Jessica Petrie (Nebraska), Hannah Wickstrom (UC Riverside), Mia Pauldo (Tennessee).
CommittedTalaysia Cooper, junior guard
Transfer to: Ole Miss
Former program: Tennessee
16.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 2.7 SPG
The Rebels graduated their top three scorers, so coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin — “self-proclaimed portalista” — hit the portal to bring in a versatile two-way player who can defend without fouling and get a bucket when needed. As Tennessee’s guard, Cooper scored 30 points against Ole Miss in February, so McPhee-McCuin got a front row seat to that show. This is Cooper’s second transfer and her third SEC program — South Carolina, Tennessee and now Ole Miss.
Fresh Start. Strong Finish 🥀🌹💙❤️ #NoCeilings #committed pic.twitter.com/Q034P9GFgY
— TALAYSIA COOPER (@Coop__10) April 8, 2026