The top-10 women’s basketball transfer portal recruiting classes in the country are now much more apparent as the NCAA Transfer Portal entry deadline for immediate eligibility for the upcoming season has passed.
While no single school has acquired two players ranked in the top five, as LSU did in the previous spring, there is still a lot of depth available overall, with several schools landing two prospects ranked in the top 15.
Even though several important players from this year’s Elite 8 participant graduated, Lindsay Gottlieb’s roster was still strong. Juju Watkins, the National Freshman of the Year, is still eligible for three seasons. The No. 2 prospect on the portal, Stanford’s Kiki Iriafen, was then added by the USC Trojans.
Iriafen’s stock increased overall as a result of her 19.4 point and 11 rebound.
Raegan Beers, the number one prospect on the portal, was signed by the Oklahoma Sooners from Oregon State, which vaults them to the No. 2 spot.
In 2023–24, she achieved a remarkable 66.4% field goal percentage, placing her second in the nation. During the previous season, Beers averaged 17.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, making him a walking double-double.
For the second season in a row, the Bruins created a stir on the transfer portal. This year, it took the form of Timia Gardiner, the No. 5 ranked portal prospect, who decided to join the Bruins after leaving Oregon State.
She averaged 11.6 points and 7 rebounds per game while playing minutes that were on par with the best. With Gardiner paired with Lauren Betts, the No. 3 rated transfer from the previous season, Bruins coach Cori Close has created her own version of the Twin Towers. Charlisse Leger-Walker, a No. 11 rated transfer, has also given them more depth in the backcourt. Gardiner and Leger-Walker together provide the Bruins with the offensive punch they need to push for a postseason spot.
The ACC heavyweight didn’t have a single transfer recruit committed for the upcoming campaign a week ago. They currently have one of the top classes in the nation.
The No. 9 portal recruit, Liza Karlen of Marquette, and the No. 10 portal player, Liatu King of Pittsburgh, were both signed by the Irish. Based on Karlen and King’s combined 2023–24 season stats, coach Niele Ivey added over 35 points and 18 rebounds per game to her roster in the process.
Though it’s unrealistic to expect both to continue producing at that level against a more talented Irish team, these stats illustrate how crucial their contributions will be to Notre Dame’s hopes of winning a national championship.
