As Women's March Madness nears its end, the NCAA transfer portal has already started making waves, with players hunting new opportunities across the DI women's basketball landscape.
Iowa State star Audi Crooks emerged as the biggest name to enter the portal to date. The 6-foot-3 center finished second in DI scoring this year, averaging 25.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while shooting 64.9% from the floor. Crooks joins nine other Cyclones in announcing their departures following a disappointing first-round NCAA tournament loss to Syracuse.
Tennessee also faces a mass exodus, with six Lady Vols entering the NCAA transfer portal. Freshman twins Mia and Mya Pauldo announced their departures April 1st, joining earlier announcements from Deniya Prawl, Alyssa Latham, Kaniya Boyd, and Lauren Hurst. The moves come after Tennessee finished 16-14 and ended the season on an eight-game losing streak.
Iowa also took a hit when five-star recruit Addie Deal entered the portal after averaging 5.1 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game in her first and only season with the Hawkeyes. Deal made the Big Ten All-Freshman team but struggled to find consistent minutes after showing early promise.
The floodgates appear ready to burst ahead of Friday's Final Four tipoff. More than 500 players have already announced intentions to enter when the transfer portal officially opens April 6th. The window subsequently closes April 20th, giving players just 15 days to find new programs.
The compressed timeline creates urgency for both players seeking new programs and coaches scrambling to fill roster holes through the portal.
