Women’s college basketball’s version of free agency is here. Less than six hours after UCLA won its first NCAA national title, the transfer portal opened, allowing teams to talk to players seeking new schools. And, like the past few seasons, it is already filled with star power.
UCLA coach Cori Close has to replace six seniors and graduate students who exhausted their eligibility after scoring every point in the national title game.
Close enters the derby with considerable momentum.
“The transfer portal just got easier,” she said with a smile with a championship net draped around her neck Sunday.
UCLA has a lot of holes to fill, with just Timea Gardiner returning from injury, Amanda Muse, Sienna Betts, Lena Bilic and Christina Karamouzi back for next season, none of them starters this season. The Bruins have a clean slate as they work to mount a national championship defense.
“We’re going to be very proactive in the transfer portal,” Close said. “We’re probably going to sign five transfers.”
More players will likely enter the portal during the next few weeks, but more than 1,000 entered the portal within the first 24 hours it was officially open. Here are some portal players who might be a fit for the Bruins:
Audi Crooks, Iowa State: The biggest name in the portal going to the defending national champions?
Crooks is a two-time All-American and three time All-Big 12 honoree. She is an elite scorer, finishing second in the nation with 25.8 points per game, and also pulled down 7.7 rebounds per game. The Bruins will need someone to fill the gap for Lauren Betts, and while Sienna Betts should see a lot of time, Crooks could buy her one more season of development.
She will be in demand, with Iowa, Texas and Texas Christian considered early favorites, but if the Bruins want to make a run at her, armed with Lauren Betts’ elite transformation, UCLA could win.
Stanford forward Lara Somfai shoots under pressure from Wake Forest guard Aurora Sorbye and forward Opal Bird on Jan. 8.
(Lachlan Cunningham / Associated Press)
Lara Somfai, Stanford: One of the more stunning portal entries, Somfai is a part of the mass exodus happening up north in Palo Alto. An Australian forward, Somfai was impressive in her freshman season for a Cardinal team that didn’t have a ton of high points.
Somfai was on the Atlantic Coast Conference all-freshman squad and led Stanford with 9.1 rebounds per game. She could fill the role of someone such as Gabriela Jaquez as an aggressive offensive forward who crashes the paint.
UCLA offered Somfai a scholarship before her freshman year, but she ultimately chose between Stanford, UConn and Duke.
Aliyahna “Puff” Morris, California: The former top high school prospect out of Rancho Cucamonga had a disappointing freshman campaign with Cal, but she also didn’t have a ton around her.
She started the first nine games before missing two months with a knee injury, then primarily came off the bench, replaced by Gisella Maul. Morris averaged seven points and 3.1 assists per game and could use a change of scenery.
Kymora Johnson, Virginia: Johnson burst onto the national scene after leading Virginia to a stunning Sweet 16 as a 10 seed, upsetting Iowa before challenging TCU during a loss. But with the firing of head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, Johnson hit the portal.
Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee: The biggest name of the group exiting Tennessee, Cooper spent two seasons with the Volunteers. She led them in scoring this season at 16.1 points per game, earning an All-Southeastern Conference selection for the second time while shooting 34.3% from three-point range.
Cooper is going to be one of the biggest names switching teams, and so far has mostly been interested in playing with teams in the southeast, but going to a championship squad is always an option.
Penn State guard Kiyomi McMiller dribbles in front of Oregon guard Sofia Bell on Jan. 24.
(Mark Ylen / Associated Press)
Kiyomi McMiller, Penn State: UCLA saw McMiller in December when she scored 13 points during a Penn State loss. She will go to her third school in three years, but she was an excellent scorer with the Nittany Lions at 12th in the nation with 21.6 points per game.
A pure shooting guard, she would give the Bruins a strong offensive option.
Addie Deal, Iowa: An Irvine native, Deal averaged 5.1 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists for a deep Hawkeyes team. She scored a season-high 20 points against Ohio State in January, started three contests and made the Big Ten’s all-freshman team.
Deal was formerly the No. 2 prospect in California and had a scholarship offer from UCLA before her freshman season.
UCLA Bruins forwards Angela Dugalic and Gabriela Jaquez double team California Baptist guard Filipa Barros during the NCAA tournament on March 21.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Filipa Barros, California Baptist: The Bruins played Barros and her scrappy Lancers squad in the first round of the NCAA tournament, where she had seven points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. She was the MVP of the Western Athletic Conference tournament and was the only player in the nation to average at least 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting better than 40% from three-point range.
Can she make the leap to a Power Four conference team? She’s made a case she should get a look.
Honorable mentions
Nunu Agara, Stanford; Stanford’s top player has one season left after graduating early. She played 31 minutes and averaged 15.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
Achol Akot, Oklahoma State; A 6-foot-1 forward, Akot would benefit from playing with a team that didn’t force her to be their lone post presence.
Madison St. Rose, Princeton; A senior shooting guard, St. Rose averaged 15.9 points per game in 31.8 minutes.
Jessica Peterson, Miami; Another Los Angeles-area native, Peterson is a graduate student center who averaged six points and 6.4 rebounds per game. She began her career at Fresno State.
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