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<\/p>\nThe portal is open. The exoduses have begun. Let the madness continue.<\/p>\n
Within the first day of the portal\u2019s opening, more than 1,000 Division I players had entered \u2014 that\u2019s roughly an NCAA Tournament\u2019s worth of rosters looking for a new home. Here\u2019s a look at the players expected to be the most coveted in this recruitment period.<\/p>\n
Notes: Players are only included if they\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n
1. Audi CrooksIowa State junior center<\/p>\n
25.8 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.7 APG<\/p>\n
An impressive part of Crooks\u2019 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\u2019s 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.)<\/p>\n
It\u2019ll 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\u2019 transfer portal recruitment \u2014 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\u2019t necessarily mean that\u2019s where she\u2019ll end up.<\/p>\n
Potential fits: Minnesota, UNC, Texas<\/p>\n
2. Liv McGillFlorida sophomore guard<\/p>\n
22.5 PPG, 6.3 APG, 6.1 RPG, 2.6 steals per game<\/p>\n
After being spotted at Tammi Reiss\u2019 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s an excellent pick up for a team seeking an instant spark.<\/p>\n
Potential fits: Texas, LSU<\/p>\n
3. Jordan LeeTexas sophomore guard<\/p>\n
13.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.5 SPG<\/p>\n
Lee was the Longhorns\u2019 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\u2019s 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\u2019ll be a big target and has two more years of eligibility.<\/p>\n
Potential fits: UCLA, Oklahoma, Duke, South Carolina<\/p>\n
4. Aaliyah CrumpTexas freshman guard<\/p>\n
7.9 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.0 SPG<\/p>\n
Crump played less than 18 minutes a game this season, but her presence was felt on the floor. She\u2019s 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\u2019d be a natural fit almost anywhere.<\/p>\n
Potential fits: UCLA, Duke, UConn, Ohio State, South Carolina<\/p>\n
5. Kymora JohnsonVirginia junior guard<\/p>\n
19.5 PPG, 5.9 APG, 4.5 RPG, 2.1 spg<\/p>\n
Johnson is the full package \u2014 she\u2019s 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\u2019s not the tallest guard, but she\u2019s sturdy, and her motor is off the charts. (She played every minute of the Cavaliers\u2019 double-overtime upset of Iowa in the second round.) Johnson grew up in Charlottesville, Va., and UVA was her dream school \u2014 she was a UVA ball girl as a kid \u2014 so it\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n
Potential fits: UCLA, TCU, Kentucky, South Carolina<\/p>\n
6. Dani CarnegieGeorgia sophomore guard<\/p>\n
17.8 PPG, 3.2 APG, 5.3 RPG, 1.4 SPG<\/p>\n
Carnegie will be on her third school in three years, but that\u2019s not necessarily that wild in this day of college sports. She\u2019s 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\u2019ll 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 \u2014 who dropped 24 points on the Tigers this season \u2014 to come back to the Northeast?<\/p>\n
Potential fits: Rutgers, UCLA, TCU<\/p>\n
7. Jada WilliamsIowa State junior guard<\/p>\n
15.3 PPG, 7.7 APG, 3.5 RPG<\/p>\n
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\u2019s dangerous, and that\u2019s where she\u2019s able to best create for teammates, too.<\/p>\n
Potential fits: UCLA, USC, Texas, South Carolina<\/p>\n
8. Addy BrownIowa State junior forward<\/p>\n
11.9 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 5.3 APG<\/p>\n
Brown is a unique player in the portal. There simply aren\u2019t 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\u2019s a dynamic threat with 89 career starts. Brown would be an asset on any roster.<\/p>\n
Potential fits: Louisville, UCLA<\/p>\n
9. Justice CarltonTexas sophomore forward<\/p>\n
8.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.1 SPG<\/p>\n
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\u2019s a strong offensive rebounder and has 3-point range even though she wasn\u2019t asked to shoot many in Texas\u2019 offensive system (9 of 19 from beyond the arc this season). She brings deep postseason experience \u2014 two Final Four trips \u2014 as well as a well-rounded game and two seasons of eligibility to her next roster.<\/p>\n
Potential fits: UConn, Vanderbilt, UCLA<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n Sa\u2019myah Smith is among Virginia\u2019s high-profile transfers. (Harry How \/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
10. Sa\u2019Myah SmithVirginia redshirt junior forward<\/p>\n
7.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Potential fits: USC, TCU, Michigan, Notre Dame<\/p>\n
11. Zam JonesNC State sophomore guard<\/p>\n
14.9 PPG, 3.8 APG, 3.3 RPG, 1.2 SPG<\/p>\n
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\u2019s undersized, so there are probably quite a few power conference rosters that might not be too high on her, but she\u2019s an impactful player nonetheless. Would the North Carolina native want to stay in her home state or head elsewhere?<\/p>\n
Potential fits: Arizona State, Maryland<\/p>\n
12. Courtney OgdenStanford junior forward<\/p>\n
12.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.1 APG<\/p>\n
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\u2019s from Atlanta, so it\u2019s possible she may play her final season closer to home. If not, programs like UCLA and Notre Dame (especially since she\u2019s a grad transfer) would make great fits.<\/p>\n
Potential fits: Notre Dame, UCLA, North Carolina<\/p>\n
13. Elina AarnisaloUNC sophomore guard<\/p>\n
10.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.9 APG<\/p>\n
Aarnisalo played her freshman season at UCLA and her sophomore season at North Carolina, so she\u2019ll be on her third school after hitting both coasts already. She\u2019s a three-level scorer, shot 40 percent from range and is sturdy enough to battle inside for boards.<\/p>\n
Potential fits: Iowa, Maryland<\/p>\n
14. Lanie GrantNorth Carolina sophomore guard<\/p>\n
10.8 PPG, 2.3 APG, 1.9 RPG<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Potential fits: UConn, Iowa, Vanderbilt<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
\n Tilda Trygger is a rare 6-6 center with a midrange game. She\u2019ll have plenty of options. (Jared C. Tilton \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
15. Tilda TryggerNC State sophomore center<\/p>\n
10.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.3 BPG<\/p>\n
Trygger\u2019s 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\u2019t teach height, and there aren\u2019t that many 6-6 players in the portal. Offensively, she does most of her damage in the paint, but she\u2019s 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\u2019s a great shot blocker and rim protector, and she doesn\u2019t 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\u2019s decision will be intriguing.<\/p>\n
Potential fits: Michigan, Minnesota, Louisville<\/p>\n
16. Carys BakerVirginia Tech junior forward<\/p>\n
14.3PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.1 BPG<\/p>\n
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?<\/p>\n
Potential fits: Kentucky, TCU<\/p>\n
17. Nunu AgaraStanford junior forward<\/p>\n
15.3 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.2 SPG<\/p>\n
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\u2019s 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\u2019s roster a possibility. (Its credit transferring system makes it tough for non-grad transfers to join the Irish).<\/p>\n
Potential fits: Notre Dame, UCLA<\/p>\n
18. Kaylene SmikleMaryland redshirt junior guard<\/p>\n
13.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.6 APG<\/p>\n
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\u2019s fully healthy and ready to go, she\u2019s an automatic bucket getter for rosters that need a big guard to do so. She\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Potential fit: Duke, TCU, Oklahoma, Ole Miss<\/p>\n
19. Madison St. RosePrinceton senior guard<\/p>\n
15.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.1 SPG<\/p>\n
Ivy League transfers have made the jump easily to power-conference rosters \u2014 Abby Meyers at Maryland, Kaitlyn Chen at UConn, McKenzie Forbes and Kayla Padilla at USC \u2014 so it\u2019s no surprise to see all those programs as potential landing spots for St. Rose. She\u2019s 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\u2019s not much of a 3-point shooter. But in the right system and surrounded by the right players, that\u2019s not a deal breaker.<\/p>\n
Potential fit: UConn, USC, Notre Dame, Northwestern<\/p>\n
20. Donovyn HunterTCU junior guard<\/p>\n
10.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.3 SPG<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Potential fits: Duke, UCLA<\/p>\n
21. Taryn BarbotCharleston junior guard<\/p>\n
20.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.3 SPG<\/p>\n
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\u2019s 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\u2019t be a surprise to see Barbot follow her coach to Pitt and play on Robin Harmony\u2019s first ACC roster.<\/p>\n
Potential fits: Pitt, Kentucky<\/p>\n
Other names to watch: Kiyomi McMiller (Penn State), Essence Cody (Alabama), Sol\u00e9 Williams (FSU), Achol Akot (Oklahoma State), Addie Deal (Iowa), McKenzie Mathurin (Michigan), In\u00e9s Sotelo (Michigan State), Jessica Petrie (Nebraska), Hannah Wickstrom (UC Riverside), Mia Pauldo (Tennessee).<\/p>\n
CommittedTalaysia Cooper, junior guard<\/p>\n
Transfer to: Ole Miss<\/p>\n
Former program: Tennessee<\/p>\n
16.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 2.7 SPG<\/p>\n
The Rebels graduated their top three scorers, so coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin \u2014 \u201cself-proclaimed portalista\u201d \u2014 hit the portal to bring in a versatile two-way player who can defend without fouling and get a bucket when needed. As Tennessee\u2019s guard, Cooper scored 30 points against Ole Miss in February, so McPhee-McCuin got a front row seat to that show. This is Cooper\u2019s second transfer and her third SEC program \u2014 South Carolina, Tennessee and now Ole Miss.<\/p>\n
Fresh Start. Strong Finish \ud83e\udd40\ud83c\udf39\ud83d\udc99\u2764\ufe0f #NoCeilings<\/a> #committed<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Q034P9GFgY<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 TALAYSIA COOPER (@Coop__10) April 8, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n