Women’s transfer rankings: The top 25 players on the move
Credit to Author: Charlie Creme| Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2024 01:42:12 EST
Virginia Tech’s Georgia Amoore flies to the rack and sinks an and-1 while falling to the court. (0:18)
The pace that players are entering the transfer portal has slowed in the past two weeks, but some recent decisions by impact players have altered the rankings significantly.
Since our last update, Aaronette Vonleh left Colorado and sharpshooter Aaliyah Nye moved on from Alabama, putting two more players in the portal who each have one season remaining and could change the outlook for some major conference program.
Kiki Iriafen, who is moving on from Stanford, is the top player in the rankings who has yet to pick her destination.
Georgia Amoore, who made a quick decision to move from Virginia Tech to Kentucky to rejoin former Hokies head coach Kenny Brooks, remains our top-ranked transfer.
None of the eight players who are in the portal from Oregon State, including four starters, have selected their next school yet, but those decisions will have seismic impact on 2024-25.
The rankings have also shifted based on where certain players have landed. Fit matters, and it has elevated some players on the list, such as Grace VanSlooten.
All college basketball transfers must be in the portal by May 1. More names could be added between now and then, but the focus over the new few weeks will mostly turn to where these players will land.
Last updated: April 25
1. Georgia Amoore, 5-6, G, Sr., Virginia Tech Hokies
Committed to Kentucky Wildcats
Amoore’s move to Kentucky to follow Brooks was no surprise after four years together in Blacksburg. Brooks can rebuild the Wildcats around a proven leader, scorer and All-American-caliber point guard. She averaged 18.6 points and an ACC-leading 6.8 assists this season. Amoore, along with Elizabeth Kitley and Brooks, changed Virginia Tech basketball, and was a likely first-round pick had she entered the WNBA draft. A two-time All-American (third team this year, honorable mention last), Amoore will be a game-changer for Kentucky, especially if her presence draws more players to Lexington. She will already be joined by former Hokies teammate Clara Strack, a 6-foot-5 center.
2. Kiki Iriafen, 6-3, F, Jr., Stanford Cardinal
The Pac-12’s most improved player and the leading scorer for the Cardinal, Iriafen became a star even playing alongside All-American Cameron Brink. Iriafen went from 6.7 points per game as a sophomore to 19.4 this season, and also pulled down 11.0 rebounds per contest. Her 41-point game against Iowa State likely saved Stanford from a second consecutive second-round NCAA tournament loss. Iriafen is from Los Angeles and has one year of eligibility remaining. With her versatility and efficiency as a scorer, Iriafen’s decision will have a major impact on the national landscape heading into next season.
3. Raegan Beers, 6-4, F, Soph., Oregon State Beavers
Beers is the most significant player on the Beavers’ roster to enter the transfer portal. She led Oregon State in scoring (17.5 PPG) and rebounding (10.6 RPG) and the country in field goal percentage (66.4%). She was the Pac-12’s freshman and sixth player of the year in 2023 and was a third-team All-American this season. One of the best post players in the country, Beers recorded 16 double-doubles despite missing time late in the season with a broken nose.
4. Charlisse Leger-Walker, 5-10, G, Sr., Washington State Cougars
The most important player in Cougar history leaves after guiding the program through its most successful period. Three NCAA tournament trips and a Pac-12 tournament title are as much a part of Leger-Walker’s legacy as her three honorable mention All-American selections and career averages of 16.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists. The New Zealand native suffered an ACL tear in January, which could impact her availability for the start of next season.
5. Lucy Olsen, 5-9, G, Jr., Villanova Wildcats
Committed to Iowa Hawkeyes
Only Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins averaged more points per game this season than Olsen. After the departure of Maddy Siegrist, Olsen thrived as the Wildcats’ new go-to player, jumping from 12.4 to 23.2 points per game and earning Big East most improved player honors. She also led the conference in minutes played and started all 105 of Villanova’s games over the past three seasons.
6. Timea Gardiner, 6-3, F, Soph., Oregon State Beavers
In Gardiner, Scott Rueck also has to say goodbye to the highest-rated high school player he ever brought to Corvallis. A McDonald’s All American out of Utah, Gardiner only played 15 games as a freshman because of injuries, but she had a breakout sophomore season, winning the Pac-12’s sixth player of the year. A good shooter (39.5% on 3-pointers) with size, Gardiner has two years of eligibility remaining.
7. Laila Phelia, 6-0, G, Jr., Michigan Wolverines
Committed to Texas Longhorns
Phelia’s decision to transfer is devastating for the Wolverines, who have lost six players to the transfer portal, but a huge boost for Texas. The first-team All-Big Ten selection, who led Michigan with 16.8 points per game, will be one of the country’s best third options in an offense that will also feature the returning Rori Harmon and Madison Booker. Phelia can shoot the 3-pointer (41.7% as a sophomore) and post up smaller guards, providing some extra versatility to the Longhorns’ offense.
8. Aaronette Vonleh, 6-3, F, Jr., Colorado Buffaloes
After earning first-team All-Pac-12 honors and establishing herself as one of the best centers in the country this season, Vonleh is leaving an already depleted Buffaloes team. Colorado now has now six players in the portal and is losing another five to graduation. Vonleh is the biggest loss. She averaged 14.0 points on 54.9% shooting one season after being named the Pac-12’s most improved player. Colorado reached the Sweet 16 in both of Vonleh’s seasons there.
9. Deja Kelly, 5-8, G, Sr., North Carolina Tar Heels
While her play might have been streaky, Kelly was the leader on North Carolina teams that consistently performed, making four straight NCAA tournaments. That was after the Tar Heels missed five of the six tournaments before her arrival. Kelly — who ranks eighth in career scoring in Tar Heel history — averaged 16.3 points and 3.2 assists per game this season.
10. Janiah Barker, 6-4, F, Soph., Texas A&M Aggies
The highest-rated recruit in Aggies history is leaving College Station. Barker was the No. 3 prospect in 2022, according to HoopGurlz, but has struggled to live up to those expectations and will seek a fresh start. In 49 games at Texas A&M (an injury limited Barker to 19 as a freshman), she averaged 12.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Barker has the size and all-around skill set to be an impact player immediately at another major conference school. Finding the consistency she never found with the Aggies will be key.
11. Kaitlyn Chen, 5-9, G, Sr., Princeton Tigers
The precedent has been set. Abby Meyers at Maryland and McKenzie Forbes (Harvard), Kayla Padilla (Penn) and Kaitlyn Davis (Columbia) at USC are all Ivy League grad transfers who have made an impact in a major conference. With the Ivy not allowing players who have graduated to continue playing, Chen made it clear she plans to play after Princeton, and she has been in the portal since the fall. The 2023 Ivy League Player of the Year and assist leader this season, Chen could step into any contender’s backcourt and upgrade its playmaking.
12. Talia von Oelhoffen, 5-11, G, Sr., Oregon State Beavers
The veteran leader of the young Beavers leaves the program after four years. Statistically, Von Oelhoffen is coming off the worst season of her career with 10.7 points per game on 38.7% shooting. But she led an Oregon State team otherwise made up of freshmen and sophomores to a surprise season and an impressive run to the Elite Eight. Von Oelhoffen can play either guard spot and will have one year of eligibility after earning her degree from Oregon State.
13. Grace VanSlooten, 6-3, F, Soph., Oregon Ducks
Committed to Michigan State Spartans
The Ducks went just 31-36 in VanSlooten’s two seasons in Eugene, and she is the best of four players to bolt the program. The Toledo native gets closer to home in East Lansing and helps the Spartans compensate for the losses of Moira Joiner (exhausted eligibility) and DeeDee Hagemann (transfer). VanSlooten, who averaged 14.1 points and 6.4 rebounds at Oregon but might not have realized the potential that made her a top-15 recruit in 2022, should pair well with Julia Ayrault, who is staying at Michigan State for her extra season.
14. Hailey Van Lith, 5-7, G, Sr., LSU Tigers
Committed to TCU Horned Frogs
After a disappointing one season with the Tigers, Van Lith will finish her career at a third school. A likely move back to her more natural two-guard position awaits on a team that has been welcoming to transfers over the past two seasons under Mark Campbell. Van Lith struggled to transition to point guard this past season, and after averaging 14.4 and 19.7 points per game in her final two seasons at Louisville, Van Lith’s production dipped to 11.6 PPG this season. Her shooting percentage also was a career-worst 37.8%. Perhaps a new school can rekindle the clutch play that Van Lith was known for with the Cardinals. She averaged 23.8 PPG in four NCAA tournament games in 2023 and played in three Elite Eights with Louisville.
15. Liza Karlen, 6-2, F, Sr., Marquette Golden Eagles
Coach Megan Duffy left two days after Karlen entered the transfer portal, and Marquette is now losing its top five scorers. Karlen is the best of the bunch, coming off her most impressive college season. She was the Big East’s fourth-leading scorer (17.7 PPG) and sixth-best rebounder (7.9 RPG), with a career-high 25 3-pointers made.
16. Liatu King, 6-0, F, Sr., Pittsburgh Panthers
One of the most improved players in the country, King is leaving the Panthers after four years and will use her extra year of eligibility. After averaging 9.4 points per game as a junior, King exploded to 18.7 PPG this season, good for sixth in the ACC. Her 10.3 rebounds per game was second only to Kitley in the conference. Perhaps most impressive, King made 52.3% of her field goal attempts, all 2-pointers, on a Pitt team that finished 8-24 overall and tied for last in the ACC.
17. Ajae Petty, 6-3, F, Sr., Kentucky Wildcats
Committed to Ohio State Buckeyes
Coach Kevin McGuff still has Cotie McMahon to build around but needed veteran talent to keep the Buckeyes competitive in the expanded Big Ten. Petty should give McGuff an inside presence with versatility that he didn’t have this past season. A significantly better player this season than she was in the first three seasons of her career, Petty went from 5.7 points per game in 2022-23 to 14.7 in 2023-24. She was also playing her best basketball at the end of the season and ranked third in the SEC in rebounding (10.6 RPG) and fourth in field goal percentage (50.7%). With more talent around her, Petty, who began her career at LSU, could be even better.
18. Taliah Scott, 5-9, G, Fr., Arkansas Razorbacks
Committed to Auburn Tigers
With 29 and 25 points in her first two college games, Scott was in the same conversation as JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo, MiLaysia Fulwiley and Madison Booker. The scoring remained (22.1 PPG), but the efficiency dipped and the turnovers rose. Injuries cost Scott some games in January, and then she ended her season in mid-February, citing family reasons before leaving the program altogether.
19. Aaliyah Nye, 6-0, G, Sr., Alabama Crimson Tide
The Crimson Tide’s momentum after advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament for just the second time in 25 years took a big blow when second-leading scorer Nye entered the portal. In her second season at Alabama, Nye became one of the SEC’s best shooters. She shot 41.5% from 3-point range and averaged 14.1 points per game. Only Caitlin Clark and Dyaisha Fair made more 3-pointers this season than Nye, who set the Alabama single-season record with 108.
20. Shayeann Day-Wilson, 5-6, G, Jr., Miami Hurricanes
Committed to LSU Tigers
Van Lith is moving on from the Tigers, but Kim Mulkey has added significant guard depth from the portal, led by Day-Wilson. After two seasons at Duke, where she was ACC Freshman of the Year in 2022, and one at Miami, Day-Wilson lands in Baton Rouge along with fellow transfers Kailyn Gilbert from Arizona and Mjracle Sheppard from Mississippi State. Day-Wilson led the Hurricanes with 11.9 points and 3.5 assists per game. With improved shooting and efficiency in Miami, Day-Wilson could be ready to step in as LSU’s new starting point guard.
21. Saylor Poffenbarger, 6-2, G, Soph., Arkansas Razorbacks
Committed to Maryland Terrapins
One of the first impact players to enter the portal, Poffenbarger just recently landed in College Park. After losing four players to the portal, Brenda Frese has now added Poffenbarger and Rhode Island’s Maye Toure, who combined for 18.9 rebounds per game, and VCU leading scorer Sarah Te-Biasu (16.3 PPG). Poffenbarger, who will have two more years of eligibility remaining, will be playing for her third school (she played 12 games at UConn as a freshman in 2021). Her offensive production faded at the end of the season (7.0 PPG in the past eight games), but Poffenbarger averaged a career-high 10.2 points per game on the season.
22. Chance Gray, 5-9, G, Soph., Oregon Ducks
Committed to Ohio State Buckeyes
A native of Cincinnati and the 2022 Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year, Gray heading to the Buckeyes seems like a natural fit. Kevin McGuff must replace his entire backcourt, so getting Gray is a key acquisition for Ohio State. Gray averaged 13.9 points and 3.0 assists as the Ducks’ point guard. She was the No. 7 recruit in the country two years ago, but Gray and VanSlooten couldn’t make the 11-21 Ducks competitive in the Pac-12 this season. Durable and reliable, Gray started all 66 games she played at Oregon and will likely step in as Ohio State’s starting point guard.
23. Riley Nelson, 6-2, G, Fr., Maryland Terrapins
A torn ACL ended Nelson’s freshman season after just 16 games, and the former McDonald’s All American is now looking for a new school. She came off the bench to average 5.1 points per game but was expected to be a big part of the Terps’ future. She was the 18th-rated prospect in the 2023 recruiting class. Nelson is the 13th Maryland player to enter the transfer portal in the past five years.
24. Maddie Scherr, 5-10, G, Sr., Kentucky Wildcats
Committed to TCU Horned Frogs
Playing time at the two-guard spot with the Horned Frogs next season should be interesting. With Madison Conner, a 19.1 PPG scorer this season, back for her bonus year, Agnes Emma-Nnopu (10.6 PPG) returning and Van Lith also transferring in, coach Campbell will have a deep backcourt. Scherr, who played her first two seasons at Oregon before two more in Lexington, is coming off a career-high 12.5 PPG. She has the versatility to give Campbell options.
25. Eniya Russell, 6-0, G, Sr., Kentucky Wildcats
Committed to Mississippi State Bulldogs
With four of his top six scorers departing, Sam Purcell needed to make a portal splash and gets significant help with Russell. The Bulldogs represent her third SEC stop, and after two unproductive seasons at South Carolina and another with the Wildcats, Russell broke out in 2023-24, averaging 10.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. She now pairs with JerKaila Jordan to form an experienced Mississippi State backcourt.
Also considered: Aaliyah Alexander, Eastern Washington Eagles (committed to UNLV Lady Rebels); KK Bransford, Notre Dame Fighting Irish; Shay Ciezki, Penn State Lady Lions; Christina Dalce, Villanova Wildcats; Mama Dembele, Missouri Tigers (committed to South Florida Bulls); Kailyn Gilbert, Arizona Wildcats (committed to LSU Tigers); Lior Garzon, Oklahoma State Cowgirls; DeeDee Hagemann, Michigan State Spartans (committed to Ole Miss Rebels; Izzy Higginbottom, Arkansas State Red Wolves (committed to Arkansas Razorbacks); Donovyn Hunter, Oregon State Beavers; Teonni Key, North Carolina Tar Heels (committed to Kentucky Wildcats); Jordan Obi, Pennsylvania Quakers; Paulina Paris, North Carolina Tar Heels; Emma Ronsiek, Creighton Bluejays (committed to Colorado State Rams); Karoline Striplin, Tennessee Lady Volunteers; Terren Ward, Georgia Southern Eagles.