Top 35 players in the portal

Just two weeks have passed since ESPN’s initial women’s college basketball transfer rankings for the 2023-24 season, and already so much has changed. More than 1,000 players are in the transfer portal. While many have already decided where they will play next, a new group of big names entered the portal since the season ended, and the women’s hoops world awaits the decisions of players such as Hailey Van Lith, who played the past three seasons for Louisville, and Aneesah Morrow, who played for DePaul the past two seasons.

The extra year of eligibility — players have the option to play a fifth year in college because of the COVID-19 waiver from 2020-21 — and new transfer rules allow for free movement and quick roster rebuilds. LSU just won a national championship with nine new players, many of whom were transfers, including four of the Tigers’ top five scorers and Final Four most outstanding player Angel Reese.

The impact doesn’t stop with LSU. Every team except Iowa in this year’s Sweet 16 had at least one starter who was a transfer. In the cases of Colorado, LSU, Miami, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Utah, a transfer was the team’s leading scorer.

Ole Miss reached the Sweet 16 this year with six transfers on the roster. Coach Yolette McPhee-McCuin has already added three starters from other programs for next year’s team.

In this edition, we’ve ranked all transfers on their measure of impact, whether they have made their next college choice. It’s also an expanded list; as the portal got bigger, so did the rankings, which now represent the top 35 transfers (we ranked the top 20 on March 28). (Note: Each player is listed with her eligibility heading into the 2023-24 season.)

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1. Hailey Van Lith, 5-foot-7, G, graduate student, Louisville

Van Lith’s shocking decision still hasn’t worn off, but the two-time all-ACC first teamer is a program-changer wherever she goes. A high-volume shooter with crafty ability to get off a mid-range shot despite her size, Van Lith averaged 19.7 PPG, a jump of over five points from her sophomore season, and 3.2 assists. She’s also durable, averaging nearly 37 minutes per game this season, and started all 101 games in her career with the Cardinals, where she was part of three Elite Eight teams. Van Lith earned her degree at Louisville and will transfer as a graduate student.

2. Aneesah Morrow, 6-foot-1, F, junior, DePaul

In Morrow a program will be getting one of the most productive players in the country, with two years of eligibility remaining. Morrow has tallied a double-double in 53 of 66 career games. She led the Big East in rebounding the past two seasons, and was second only to Maddy Siegrist in scoring both of those years. Her field goal percentage dropped from 51.9% to 42.5%, largely due to a significantly increased number of 3-point attempts (she made 25.4%). Morrow’s next stop might need her to spend more time in the paint, where she is typically dominant.

3. Lexi Donarski, 6-foot-0, G, junior, Iowa State

Donarski departs Ames after 95 starts, 13.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, plus a 2022 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year nod. She could be a difference-maker for a team that needs an upgrade for their perimeter defense but is content playing off the ball on offense. Her 3-point accuracy has dropped nearly 10 percent since her freshman year, but Donarski remains an elite free throw shooter at 86.7% last season.

4. Lauren Betts, 6-foot-7, C, sophomore, Stanford

That the 2022 No. 1 high school recruit in the country left Stanford after just one season might be even more surprising than Van Lith’s departure from Louisville. Her opportunities in her first season were limited with Betts averaging just 9.6 minutes per game with Cameron Brink the top low post threat for the Cardinal. With her size, skill level and three years of eligibility, Betts has plenty of time to develop into the player her ranking indicates she could be. UConn, South Carolina, Notre Dame, UCLA and Louisville were among the other schools the Colorado native considered during her recruitment.

5. Endyia Rogers, 5-foot-7, G, graduate student, Oregon

Rogers’ decision to withdraw from the WNBA draft and enter the portal means she will be playing for her third college team in five years. After spending two seasons at USC and two more at Oregon, Rogers established herself as one of the Pac-12’s best players. She was first-team all-conference both years with the Ducks and has never averaged fewer than 13.1 PPG. Rogers’ 15.9 points per game this season was a career high, as was her vastly improved 38.7% from behind the 3-point line.

6. Celeste Taylor, 5-foot-11, G, graduate student, Duke

Taylor said in March she would use her bonus COVID-19 year to finish her career at Duke, but announced Wednesday she was moving on for the second time in her career. After playing two seasons at Texas, Taylor became the glue for the Blue Devils in the beginning of the Kara Lawson era. That makes this move, along with the transfer of Shayeann Day-Wilson, such a blow to Duke. Taylor was the Blue Devils’ catalyst on defense and their leader. She averaged 11.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.2 steals, which was good for fourth in the ACC.

7. Te-Hina Paopao, 5-foot-9, G, senior, Oregon

With Paopao’s departure, none of the players from Kelly Graves’ No. 1-rated 2020 recruiting class will finish their careers in Eugene. Despite injuries hampering the first two years of her Oregon career, Paopao was the best of the bunch. A first-team all-Pac-12 selection in her first two seasons, Paopao endured an up-and-down junior campaign, but might have been playing the best basketball of her career by the end of the season. She averaged 19.7 PPG in Oregon’s final nine games. Paopao is at her best with the ball in her hands but can also play on the wing and could slide into any backcourt in the country.

8. Kiki Jefferson, 6-foot-1, G, graduate student, James Madison

Jefferson, who will use her COVID-19 year to play somewhere other than in Harrisonburg, is the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year who averaged 18.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists this season. She scored 17 points in JMU’s first-round NCAA tournament loss to Ohio State and 30 points against North Carolina earlier in the season.

9. Shayeann Day-Wilson, 5-foot-6, G, junior, Duke

As Duke shifted more heavily toward defense, Day-Wilson’s numbers dropped across the board: She scored less, took fewer field goal and free throw attempts, shot a lower percentage and handed out fewer assists. Still, she can play either guard spot and could be a starter from day one wherever she lands. With departures from Day-Wilson and Taylor, Duke will have to replace both backcourt starters.

10. Jayda Curry, 5-foot-6, G, junior, California

Committed to Louisville
She led the Bears in scoring her first two collegiate seasons, but they went 23-30 in that time. Now, Curry will play for a program that has been to five straight Elite Eights — and it might be up to her to continue the streak. With Van Lith’s departure, Curry instantly becomes the top perimeter scoring option for Jeff Walz. She was Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and led the league in scoring at 18.6 points per game in 2021-22, and ranked sixth in the Pac-12 at 15.5 points per game this season.

11. Kennedy Todd-Williams, 6-foot-0, G, senior, North Carolina

Committed to Ole Miss
Just as the members of Courtney Banghart’s first recruiting class were about to hit their senior seasons, Todd-Williams elected to make the move to SEC. Coming off a season in which she averaged 13.4 PPG and 5.4 RPG and was the only Tar Heel to start every game, the Jacksonville, North Carolina, native will join coach Yolett McPhee in Oxford along with transfers KK Deans from Florida and Kharyssa Richardson from Auburn.

12. Kennedy Fauntleroy, 5-foot-7, G, sophomore, Georgetown

The unanimous Big East Freshman of the Year entered the portal after coach James Howard was let go. Fauntleroy stuffed the stat sheet with 10.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.4 steals per game, and shot 37.5% from 3-point range. She should be highly sought after with three years of eligibility remaining.

13. Jakia Brown-Turner, 6-0, F, Sr., NC State

Committed to Maryland
With the losses of first-round WNBA draft picks Diamond Miller and Abby Meyers, Maryland is more than happy to welcome Brown-Turner back home. The 2019 Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year started all but one game in which she appeared in four years with the Wolfpack. She holds career averages of 10.4 PPG and 4.3 RPG, but is coming off the lowest scoring and worst shooting season of her time in Raleigh.

14. KK Deans, 5-foot-8, G, graduate student, Florida

Committed to Ole Miss
The losses of Angel Baker and Myah Taylor won’t sting as much with Deans and Todd-Williams joining Snudda Collins, Madison Scott and Marquesha Davis as the core for the Rebels, who are coming off an appearance in the Sweet 16. Deans led the Gators in scoring this past season at 14.1 PPG and was the third-most prolific 3-point shooter in the SEC. Her 38.3% from deep was better than anyone on the Rebels and helps solve their biggest shortcoming: reliable shooting. This is the third stop for Deans after beginning her career at West Virginia.

15. Maria Gakdeng, 6-foot-3, F, junior, Boston College

Committed to North Carolina
After watching high-profile teammates Taylor Soule and Cameron Schwartz transfer a year ago, Gakdeng also decided to leave Chestnut Hill — but not the ACC. An improving scorer (11.3 PPG) and one of the ACC’s best interior defenders (1.8 BPG), Gakdeng doesn’t offset the losses of Todd-Williams and Destiny Adams but could team with sophomore-to-be Teonni Key to give the Tar Heels a rim protecting element they haven’t had under Banghart.

16. Lauren Park-Lane, 5-foot-3, G, graduate student, Seton Hall

Only Siegrist and Morrow scored more in the Big East than Park-Lane this season. The diminutive but ultra-quick Park-Lane has been a big-time scorer since her sophomore year despite not being an accurate deep shooter (28.1% on 3-pointers this season). She can get into the lane and finish over taller opponents. That helped her earn three first-team all-Big East selections. Park-Lane, who is moving on with one year of eligibility remaining, also averaged over six assists in each of her last two seasons.

17. Destinee Wells, 5-foot-6, G, senior, Belmont

Committed to Tennessee
Wells got even better as the Bruins moved to the Missouri Valley Conference from the Ohio Valley. Now she’s ready for the much bigger challenge of the SEC. Her 19.5 points per game was a career high and, more importantly, she improved to a 45.5% 3-point shooter after making 30.5% as a sophomore. Tennessee shot just 31.1% from deep this season. Wells struggled against most of Belmont’s top competition this season, so it might take her some time to adjust to the SEC.

18. Jada Walker, 5-foot-7, G, junior, Kentucky

Committed to Baylor
Walker might have been the Wildcats’ best player by season’s end. She was Kentucky’s second-leading scorer at 12.6 points per game and averaged 16.3 in three SEC tournament games. Now she joins Sarah Andrews and Ohio transfer Yaya Felder in a versatile Baylor backcourt. She also averaged 3.1 assists and 2.6 steals and was a full-time starter for nearly her entire stay in Lexington.

19. Darrione Rogers, 5-foot-11, G, senior, DePaul

Like Morrow, Rogers is a Chicago native who has decided to leave DePaul. Rogers was the team’s second-leading scorer behind Morrow, making a huge jump from 9.9 PPG as a sophomore to 16.8 this year. She was also third in the Big East with 5.1 APG. She is a streaky shooter, but even in her slumps Rogers’ playmaking skills make her another intriguing point guard in the portal, and one who should be a starter wherever she goes.

20. Alanna Micheaux, 6-foot-2, F, junior, Minnesota

Micheaux was the first Gopher to leave the program after Lindsey Whalen stepped down as coach. One of the Big Ten’s most improved players, she went from 4.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game as a freshman to 13.8 and 7.9 this season and was named honorable mention all-conference. With 6-5 Sophie Hart arriving from NC State, Michaeux’s loss might not be felt as much, but she could have significant value to another Power 5 program.

21. Erynn Barnum, 6-foot-2, G, graduate student, Arkansas

The Little Rock native broke through in her senior year with the Razorbacks, doubling her scoring average from her junior season (7.6 PPG to 15.0 PPG). Barnum led Arkansas in scoring and was second in rebounding (6.5 RPG), earning second-team All-SEC. One of the first recruits for coach Mike Neighbors when he took over the program, Barnum initially indicated she would play her extra season at Arkansas before deciding to move on. She does most of her work in the paint and made 59.1% of her 2-point attempts this season.

22. Aicha Coulibaly, 6-foot-0, G, senior, Auburn

With two years of eligibility remaining, Coulibaly would be a veteran presence wherever she goes. A starter in her last two years with the Tigers, Coulibaly averaged 16.0 PPG and 6.5 RPG. Coulibaly is a big guard who likes to get to the rim, but she’s not a 3-point shooter.

23. Sedona Prince, 6-foot-7, C, graduate student, Oregon

Committed to TCU
After suffering an elbow injury in October, Prince announced her college career was done and that, once healthy, they would pursue a professional career. By season’s end the plan had changed, and Prince has decided to use their final year of eligibility playing for TCU, where former Oregon assistant Mark Campbell was hired as the new head coach. Prince has had an injury-plagued career that began at Texas. In 2022, she averaged 9.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 1.3 BPG for the Ducks.

24. Kayla Padilla, 5-foot-9, G, graduate student, Penn

Because the Ivy League doesn’t allow graduate students to compete in athletics, Padilla has no choice but to leave the Quakers if she wants to keep playing. An 18.0 PPG scorer and 38.2% 3-point shooter in her Penn career, Padilla hopes to follow in the footsteps of recent Ivy League transfers Abby Meyers, Katie Benzan and Carlie Littlefield, who became major contributors in major conferences.

25. Paris Clark, 5-foot-8, G, sophomore, Arizona

Committed to Virginia
One of the headliners in Adia Barnes’ highly rated 2022 recruiting class, Clark lasted just one season in Tucson. Cavaliers’ coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton has already had success with transfers Mir McLean (UConn), Camryn Taylor (Marquette) and Sam Brunelle (Notre Dame). Clark will be a big part of the next phase of Coach Mox’s rebuilding plan. Clark, a McDonald’s All-American from the Bronx, averaged just 3.8 points in 24 games, but she scored a season-high 11 points in a second-round NCAA tournament loss to Maryland.

26. Matilda Ekh, 6-foot-0, G, junior, Michigan State

A career 39.8% 3-point shooter, Ekh could help plenty of teams looking to better stretch the floor. A consistent presence as a Spartan, Ekh only missed one game in her two seasons and started all but two. She was fourth in the Big Ten this season with 2.4 3-point field goals made per game.

27. Taina Mair, 5-foot-9, G, sophomore, Boston College

The departures of Gakdeng and Mair are a real blow to the Eagles. Mair was the team’s third-leading scorer (11.1 PPG), right behind Gakdeng, and was eighth in the country with 6.6 assists per game on a team that only shot 41.4% from the field. That Mair is a Boston native who originally decided to stay home and then started all 33 games as a freshman makes the decision that much more surprising. She would be an ideal fit for a talented team that just needs to plug in a pass-first point guard.

28. Frannie Hottinger, 6-foot-1, F, graduate student, Lehigh

The extra COVID-19 season gives Hottinger a chance to explore a higher level of competition, and the timing seems right after she won Patriot League player of the year. The Minnesota native averaged 20.4 points and 9.7 rebounds, essentially doubling her numbers from her junior season. That sort of productivity isn’t likely to translate to a major conference, but her experience should.

29. Maddie Nolan, 5-foot-11, G, graduate student, Michigan

Although her shooting accuracy dropped off some this year, Nolan using her extra year of eligibility would be a valuable addition to any team needing another deep threat as the last piece to the roster puzzle. She has been a starter the last two seasons with the Wolverines and hit her career high in scoring (9.1 PPG) this season despite seeing her 3-point shooting percentage fall from 40.5% in 2022 to 34.2%.

30. Camille Hobby, 6-foot-3, C, graduate student, NC State

Committed to Illinois
After finally getting her opportunity to start for the Wolfpack this season and producing career highs in minutes (21.3), points (8.8), rebounds (4.2) and field goal percentage (51.8%), Hobby is going to use her extra COVID-19 year in the Big Ten. She is best in the low post and can provide help for Kendall Bostic, who carried the load in the paint for the Illini last year.

31. Lauren Ware, 6-foot-5, C, sophomore, Arizona

Coming off a knee injury that cost her the entire season, Ware comes with a little risk. However, she could provide a big reward at 6-5 with three years of eligibility remaining. A limited offensive player in her two years with the Wildcats (4.8 PPG), Ware, who has averaged 1.1 blocks per game in her 52 appearances, would be valuable as a rim protector with time to develop as more of scoring threat.

32. Kaitlyn Davis, 6-foot-1, F, graduate student, Columbia

Davis, along with Abbey Hsu, are largely responsible for the Lions’ 53-13 record the past two seasons. Davis averaged 13.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists this season as Columbia finished as the WNIT runner-up. That includes a 24-point game against Vanderbilt and 17 more in a win at Seton Hall. Her triple-double against Dartmouth was the first in school history.

33. Teisha Hyman, 5-foot-8, G, senior, Syracuse

After looking like an emerging ACC star in the 2021-22 season in which she averaged 16.1 points, Hyman took a step back in new coach Felisha Legette-Jack’s system. Her scoring dropped by nearly six points per game as her minutes fell by more than seven. While her 3-point shooting never developed in her four years at Syracuse, Hyman is dangerous off the dribble and can get to the basket with either hand.

34. JaMya Mingo-Young, 5-foot-8, G, graduate student, Alabama

Like with Ware, injury could present some hesitation with Mingo-Young. She missed the second half of the season after being medically disqualified with lower extremity injuries. She averaged just 5.4 points per game before being shut down after 14 games, but she scored 11.6 points per game her first season with the Crimson Tide. Mingo-Young began her career with Mississippi State and only missed one game in two years with the Bulldogs.

35. Payton Verhulst 6-foot-1 G, junior, Louisville

Committed to Oklahoma
After starting her sophomore season with Louisville, Verhulst left the Cardinals in December and announced her move to Norman. A five-star recruit, McDonald’s All-American and member of the ACC All-Freshman team, Verhulst had a slightly increased role with the Cardinals earlier this season before electing to transfer.

Also considered: Tirzah Moore, Oral Roberts; Taylen Collins, Oklahoma State; Yaya Felder, Ohio to Baylor; Lauren Hansen, Missouri; Madison Bartley, Belmont to Baylor