Top Women’s Basketball Transfer Portal Classes 2026: Oklahoma State, UCLA Lead
Women’s college basketball keeps changing, and the transfer portal’s become a huge part of the game. Coaches use it to reshape their teams and stay ahead. This year, the portal’s been buzzing—top players are finding new homes, and coaches sound eager about what’s next. From Oklahoma State to Florida, the top 15 transfer classes really show how much these new faces matter. So, what’s in store for the upcoming season?
Top Transfer Portal Classes in Women’s College Basketball
Table of Contents
- 1 Top Transfer Portal Classes in Women’s College Basketball
- 1.1 Oklahoma State Cowgirls
- 1.2 UCLA Bruins
- 1.3 Ole Miss Rebels
- 1.4 Arizona State Sun Devils
- 1.5 North Carolina Tar Heels
- 1.6 Louisville Cardinals
- 1.7 TCU Horned Frogs
- 1.8 West Virginia Mountaineers
- 1.9 Tennessee Lady Vols
- 1.10 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
- 1.11 Mississippi State Bulldogs
- 1.12 LSU Tigers
- 1.13 Minnesota Golden Gophers
- 1.14 Clemson Tigers
- 1.15 Florida Gators
The transfer portal shakes up college basketball every year. Teams can plug holes fast and grab talent they need. Some programs just seem to have it figured out, pulling in the best players. Here are the standout transfer portal classes for 2026:
Oklahoma State Cowgirls
Oklahoma State probably had the strongest portal class this time around. The Cowgirls picked up high-scoring and versatile players, and now they’re looking pretty dangerous. Key additions:
- Audi Crooks – The nation’s second-leading scorer from Iowa State.
- Liv McGill – A dynamic guard from Florida.
- Ellie Brueggemann – A sharpshooter from Lindenwood.
- Nènè Ndiaye – A versatile forward from Rutgers.
They also added Yuting Deng from Baylor, LA Sneed from Utah, and Zoe Canfield from Missouri State. When you throw in All-Big 12 returner Stailee Heard, Oklahoma State looks like a team built for a deep March run.
UCLA Bruins
After winning the national championship, UCLA lost their top six players to the WNBA. Coach Cori Close had to reload fast and brought in a strong group:
- Addy Brown – A forward from Iowa State who does it all.
- Elina Aarnisalo – Came back to UCLA after a year at UNC.
- Donovyn Hunter – One of TCU’s top players.
- Bonnie Deas – A promising rookie from Arkansas.
- KK Bransford – From Notre Dame.
With this crew, the Bruins should stay in the mix come tournament time.
Ole Miss Rebels
Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin just keeps building teams that can make some noise. This year’s haul includes:
- Talaysia Cooper – A top guard from Tennessee.
- Jada Richard – Another strong guard from LSU.
- Jaida Civil – From Tennessee.
- Doneelah Washington – From Illinois State.
They also grabbed Jade Tillman, an All-America East pick, and San Jose State’s Maya Anderson for more depth and flexibility.
Arizona State Sun Devils
Coach Molly Miller is making moves after a solid first year. She added a bunch of talented transfers:
- Ruby Whitehorn – A top player from Tennessee.
- Rashunda Jones – All-Big Ten defender from Michigan State.
- Ayanna-Sarai Darrington – Led the MAC in field goal percentage.
- Madi Morson – MAC Player of the Year.
- Ella Ryan – Shot an impressive 41.1% from deep last season.
Arizona State’s roster looks stacked enough to make a real push in the Big 12.
North Carolina Tar Heels
Coach Courtney Banghart hit the portal to fill in the gaps. Here’s who’s coming in:
- Achol Akot – Tough forward from Oklahoma State.
- Sophie Burrows – Knockdown shooter from Syracuse.
- Chloe Clardy – Combo guard from Stanford.
- Gabby White – Combo guard from Virginia.
These new faces could help UNC stay in the ACC hunt.
Louisville Cardinals
Coach Jeff Walz didn’t mess around, adding three impressive players:
- Zamareya Jones – High-scoring guard from NC State.
- Carys Baker – Versatile All-ACC forward from Virginia Tech.
- Deniya Prawl – Showed real flashes as a Tennessee rookie.
Louisville looks ready to challenge for the ACC title, again.
TCU Horned Frogs
Coach Mark Campbell is coming off back-to-back Elite Eight runs and didn’t waste time reloading:
- Lanie Grant – Playmaker from North Carolina.
- Lara Somfai – One of the ACC’s best rookies from Stanford.
- Jadyn Wooten – All-Big 12 pick from Oklahoma State.
- Bella Hines – Showed upside at LSU.
If Campbell can get this group to click, TCU could be right back in the mix.
West Virginia Mountaineers
Coach Mark Kellogg went to work in the portal, landing several solid pieces:
- Zahirah Walton – From George Mason.
- Skylar Forbes – From Marquette.
- Alexis Bordas – From Duquesne.
- Kennedy Harris – From George Mason.
He also picked up BYU’s Marya Hudgins and UCF’s Khyala Ngodu for even more depth.
Tennessee Lady Vols
Coach Kim Caldwell basically turned over the whole roster, bringing in a bunch of new faces:
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- Kaylene Smikle – Put up 17.1 points per game at Maryland.
- Naomi White – Ranked 15th nationally in scoring as a Northern Arizona rookie.
- Fatmata Janneh – Proved she can bang in the SEC paint at Texas A&M.
- Kennedy Fauntleroy – A veteran guard who’s been around.
Caldwell also added Avery Mills from Liberty, Rylie Theuerkauf from Georgia, Aaliyah Moore from Texas, and Seton Hall’s Jada Eads. That’s a lot of new energy for the Lady Vols.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Coach Jan Jensen didn’t go for quantity but landed some real talent:
- Dani Carnegie – All-SEC guard from Georgia.
- Amari Whiting – Averaged 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists for Oklahoma State.
- Jocelyn Faison – From Georgia.
This group could keep Georgia Tech in the ACC conversation.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Coach Sam Purcell aimed to boost the Bulldogs’ NCAA Tournament chances with these additions:
- Aryss Macktoon – Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year.
- Arianny Francisco de Oliveira – Top junior college transfer in the country.
- Cali Smallwood – Ranked fourth nationally in 3-pointers made per game.
- Reese Beaty – Fourth among freshmen nationally in assist-turnover ratio.
Macie Phifer (All-CUSA freshmen team) and JUCO standout Tootie Lockett round out a strong group for Mississippi State.
LSU Tigers
Coach Kim Mulkey needed to fill a big hole in the backcourt, so she went out and got:
- Jada Williams – Ranked third nationally in assists per game (7.7) and put up 15.3 points last season at Iowa State.
- Laila Reynolds – From Florida.
- Chloe Larry – From Tennessee Tech.
LSU should stay right in the thick of things in the SEC with these moves.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Coach Dawn Plitzuweit filled some key holes with these transfers:
- Gracie Merkle – Has ranked top three nationally in field goal percentage for three straight years.
- Leah Harmon – Brings offensive spark from UCF.
- Tayla Thomas – Put up 9.7 points and 7.2 boards per game last season at Northwestern.
It’s not flashy, but Minnesota should stay competitive.
Clemson Tigers
Coach Shawn Poppie grabbed size, upside, and a veteran guard to help Clemson’s NCAA hopes:
- Mackenzie Nelson – Ranked second nationally in assist-turnover ratio last year at Virginia Tech.
- Edie Clarke – A 6-foot-4 forward from Saint Mary’s who can do a bit of everything.
- Jenna Lawrence – Solid SEC experience from Arkansas.
Taliyah Henderson and Yakiya Milton also bring plenty of potential. This group is interesting—could be one to watch.
Florida Gators
Coach Tammi Reiss just brought in nine transfers for her first season. That’s a pretty bold move, right?
- Kiyomi McMiller – She put up 21.6 points per game last season at Penn State, ranking 12th in the nation for scoring.
- Vanessa Harris – Last year, she earned Atlantic 10 Sixth Player of the Year honors at Rhode Island.
- Jordan Jones – Two seasons ago at Denver, she averaged 19.8 points per game. Impressive.
- Mallory Miller – A rim-protector from Butler, and honestly, Florida could use that kind of defense.
With all these new faces, Florida might just shake things up in the SEC.
Want to dig deeper into these transfer classes? Check out the USA TODAY Sports article.
