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Charlie Creme, ESPN.com
As players began to enter the transfer portal in late March, our initial rankings were almost exclusively based on talent. Now that we know where so many key players are headed, potential impact and fit become prominent factors in how the rankings are shaped.
And that’s why there’s a change at the top.
Georgia Amoore has the best résumé of any transfer this offseason and was No. 1 for the first few iterations.
But Kiki Iriafen’s transfer to USC should have a bigger impact than Amoore’s move to Kentucky, especially when Talia von Oelhoffen is also added to the mix for the Trojans.
The rankings have also lost a pair of players with Alabama’s Aaliyah Nye and Notre Dame’s KK Bransford electing to return to their schools.
More than 1,300 players entered the portal since it opened March 18. All college basketball transfers must be in the portal by May 1, and more decisions will be made.
Five players in these rankings, as well as many more who garnered consideration, still haven’t picked their next school.
Last updated: May 1
1. Kiki Iriafen, 6-3, F, Jr., Stanford Cardinal
Committed to USC Trojans
With Stanford’s move to the ACC and the retirement of Tara VanDerveer, Iriafen’s decision to leave the Cardinal wasn’t a major surprise. That the Los Angeles native landed at USC to play alongside JuJu Watkins also wasn’t shocking. That doesn’t make it any less impactful. No transfer choice has more ramifications on the 2024-25 national title race than Iriafen to the Trojans. Iriafen went from role player to star this season, raising her scoring average from 6.7 points as a sophomore to a Stanford-best 19.4 PPG and winning the Pac-12’s most improved player award as a junior. She also pulled down 11.0 rebounds per game. Iriafen can score in the low post or out to 17 feet with effectiveness. Her efficiency should be a great match to the dynamic Watkins.
2. Raegan Beers, 6-4, F, Soph., Oregon State Beavers
Committed to Oklahoma Sooners
The finesse-oriented Sooners were going to need more size, power and interior defense for their move to the SEC. They found it in Beers. The top player of the seven who departed the Beavers following the dissolution of the Pac-12, Beers led Oregon State in scoring (17.5 PPG) and rebounding (10.6 RPG) and was the country’s most accurate shooter with a 66.4 field goal percentage. 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. A good, experienced Oklahoma team becomes more offensively diverse with Beers, who is a solid and willing passer who will be surrounded by 3-point shooters in Norman much like she was in Corvallis.
3. 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, and former North Carolina 6-4 post Teonni Key.
4. Charlisse Leger-Walker, 5-10, G, Sr., Washington State Cougars
Committed to UCLA Bruins
After spending the past two seasons battling Kiki Rice, Leger-Walker will join her to form a talented Bruins’ backcourt. Charisma Osborne’s leadership and versatility won’t be missed nearly as much with the addition of Leger-Walker, who leaves Pullman as the best and most important player in Cougars history. She led Washington State to its most successful period, with three NCAA tournament trips and a Pac-12 tournament title in 2023. A three-time honorable mention All-American, Leger-Walker has career averages of 16.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Health is the biggest question for the New Zealand native, who suffered an ACL tear in a January game (against UCLA), which could impact her availability for the start of next season.
5. Lucy Olsen, 5-9, G, Jr., Villanova Wildcats
Committed to Iowa Hawkeyes
With no chance to replace Caitlin Clark’s impact, the Hawkeyes needed someone to take on some of that production. In Olsen, they found the best possible replacement in the portal. Only 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
Committed to UCLA Bruins
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
Committed to Baylor Bears
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. She joins a Baylor team loaded with guards but in need of the size and post presence she provides after the losses of leading scorer Dre’Una Edwards and leading rebounder Aijha Blackwell. Vonleh also fills a huge void in the middle defensively, a place Baylor was deficient this season. This move might make the Bears the favorites in what will be a deep Big 12 next season. She averaged a career-high 14.0 points on 54.9% shooting and 5.2 rebounds per game in her second season in Boulder.
9. Kaitlyn Chen, 5-9, G, Sr., Princeton Tigers
Committed to UConn Huskies
With Nika Muhl off to the WNBA, Chen, the 2023 Ivy League player of the year, will step in as UConn’s new point guard. Chen’s arrival will allow Paige Bueckers to stay off the ball more often, much like she was able to this season. Bueckers and Chen combined with a healthy Azzi Fudd gives the Huskies a diverse and potentially explosive backcourt. She isn’t on Muhl’s level as a defender, but Chen might be a better playmaker and is a more versatile offensive player. Her 15.8 points led the Tigers and her 4.9 assists were tops in the Ivy League.
10. Talia von Oelhoffen, 5-11, G, Sr., Oregon State Beavers
Committed to USC Trojans
After considering numerous schools for her final season, von Oelhoffen decided to stay out west and play for a team that should contend for a national championship. Although she’s not a pure point guard, von Oelhoffen is a good facilitator and that is the role she might play most prominently on a Trojans’ team with Watkins, Iriafen, Rayah Marshall and the country’s top incoming recruiting class. While her 10.7 points per game this season were a career low, von Oelhoffen’s 5.0 assist average was the best of her career and a big part of Oregon State’s Elite Eight season.
11. 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.
12. 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.
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. 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.
20. 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.
21. 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.
22. Riley Nelson, 6-2, G, Fr., Maryland Terrapins
Committed to Duke Blue Devils
A torn ACL ended Nelson’s freshman season after just 16 games, and now the former McDonald’s All-American will leave her home state looking to reach that potential in Durham. The two-time Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year came off the Terrapins’ bench to average 5.1 points per game before the injury 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.
23. 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.
24. 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.
25. DeeDee Hagemann, 5-7, G, Jr., Michigan State Spartans
Committed to Ole Miss Rebels
The Rebels needed a point guard and Hagemann was looking for a new home. It’s an ideal match. Hagemann averaged 12.3 points per game and set a Michigan State record with a 2.84 assist-to-turnover ratio. She averaged 5.2. assists and was a 51.5% shooter who is going to a team that ranked 11th in the SEC in assists and shot a collective 41.6%.
Also considered: Aaliyah Alexander, Eastern Washington Eagles (committed to UNLV Rebels); Shay Ciezki, Penn State Lady Lions (committed to Indiana Hoosiers); 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 (committed to Colorado Buffaloes); Izzy Higginbottom, Arkansas State Red Wolves (committed to Arkansas Razorbacks); Donovyn Hunter, Oregon State; Teonni Key, North Carolina Tar Heels (committed to Kentucky Wildcats); Jordan Obi, Pennsylvania Quakers; Paulina Paris, North Carolina Tar Heels (committed to Arizona Wildcats); Emma Ronsiek, Creighton Bluejays (committed to Colorado State Rams); Karoline Striplin, Tennessee Lady Volunteers (committed to Indiana Hoosiers); Terren Ward, Georgia Southern Eagles.
