NCAAW decision tracker: Fulwiley chooses LSU

Even before UConn was crowned as the 2025 national champion, changes already were sweeping across the women’s college basketball landscape. And they’ll only continue.

While many players will take their talents to the WNBA, others have chosen to exercise their remaining eligibility. For an increasing number of players, that includes their eligibility to transfer, with the portal quickly piling up with names seeking new destinations.

As of midnight on April 23, the transfer portal is now closed, with almost 30 percent of the just over 5,000 Division I women’s college basketball players having chosen to put their name in the portal in hopes of possibly find new hooping homes, according to On3’s Talia Goodman. For players now in the portal, there is no timeline on making a decision. So, expect transfer rumors and news to keep trickling.

Keep up with some of the most consequential decisions that will shape the 2025-26 NCAAW season:

MiLaysia Fulwiley makes it official with LSU

South Carolina has 17-straight wins over LSU.

MiLaysia Fulwiley was part of the last three Gamecock victories. But now, she’ll be trying to snap South Carolina’s streak, as the reigning SEC Sixth Player of the Year has committed to LSU. Fulwiley has two years of eligibility remaining.

Fulwiley will form one of the nation’s most explosive backcourts with Flau’jae Johnson, who will finish out her college career with the Tigers, and Mikaylah Williams. Head coach Kim Mulkey already bolstered her team’s frontcourt depth through portal additions Kate Koval (Notre Dame) and Amiya Joyner (East Carolina). LSU also is believed to be the favorite to land forward Serah Williams (Wisconsin).

South Carolina enhances frontcourt with Okot

After adding scoring to their backcourt, South Carolina now has added size to their frontcourt.

Head coach Dawn Staley scored her second high-profile transfer, with 6-foot-6 center Madina Okot, who played at Mississippi State last season after playing two years of university-level basketball in her native Kenya, joining Ta’Niya Latson in Columbia.

Of Okot, who averaged 11.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks for the Bulldogs in just under 23 minutes per game, Staley said:

Madina gives our frontcourt additional size and speed. She has the ability to score, rebound and defend, and her competitiveness and SEC experience are added bonuses. We’re excited to bring her to our Gamecock family.

Barker heads to Rocky Top, while Jones moves across LA

Janiah Barker, the No. 3 recruit in the class of 2022 who is fresh off a Final Four run with UCLA, is transferring to Tennessee. This will be the 6-foot-4 forward’s third college stop, after she played her first two seasons at Texas A&M.

Another now-former Bruin, Londynn Jones, also announced her next destination, as she’ll be trading the blue and gold of UCLA for the garnet and gold of USC. After spending three seasons in Westwood, she has one year of eligibility remaining for the Trojans.

Okananwa opts for Maryland

The MVP of the 2025 ACC Tournament is moving to the Big Ten.

Oluchi Okananwa, who played two seasons at Duke, has committed to Maryland. On her decision, she told On3’s Talia Goodman, “What led to my decision was a deep trust in Coach Frese and the coaching staff to help nurture me into the player I know I can become.”

Flau’jae joins new (tour) lineup

Kudos to Flau’jae Johnson, who, at the height of portal season, teased a “major announcement” in a cryptic, thanks-filled Instagram post.

The announcement? She’s going on tour. The student-athlete-rapper is touring with BossMan Dlow, starting in Boston with stops in Toronto, Denver and Jacksonville.

What’s next for Flau’jae?

“4 out.”

That’s what Flau’jae Johnson recently posted on X/Twitter. On Instagram, that cryptic message was somewhat clarified by a more extensive post where she reflected on the past season, thanked her fans and shouted out her teammates before writing, “To Louisiana State University, I’m forever indebted for the opportunity to pursue my dreams. Stay tuned for a major announcement soon… 4 junior year out!”

Those messages suggest, but do not yet guarantee, that Johnson, who elected not to enter the 2025 WNBA Draft as an eligible junior, is transferring from LSU. If so, she’d join a train of former Tigers out of Baton Rouge that already includes Sa’Myah Smith, Last-Tear Poa, Aalyah Del Rosario and Jersey Wolfenbarger.

Okanawa’s going elsewhere

Oluchi Okanawa is set to leave Duke after a stellar sophomore season that included being named the MVP of the 2025 ACC Tournament. The 5-foot-10 guard entered the portal with a “do not contact” tag and reportedly has visited Maryland.

Fulwiley’s out at South Carolina

So, it seems that South Carolina will have traded Ta’Niya Latson, the nation’s reigning leading scorer, for MiLaysia Fulwiley, the electric SEC Sixth Player of the Year. We’ll see how that exchange works out for Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks.

For now, Fuwiley becomes the prize of the portal, an elite talent with uncommon flair who could supercharge a wayward program or take a title contender over the top. The 5-foot-10 guard who led South Carolina in scoring has two years of eligibility remaining.

McMahon commits to Ole Miss

Coach Yo continues to clean up in the transfer, sweeping in Cotie McMahon from Ohio State. The 6-foot-0 forward, who has one year of eligibility remaining, joins three more transfers in Kaitlin Peterson (UCF), Latasha Lattimore (UVA) and Jayla Murray (Wichita State) on a re-stocked Rebels team.

Barker, Jones and freshman bolt from UCLA

What’s Bruin in Westwood? Following a trip to the Final Four, six Bruins have entered the transfer portal, headlined by Janiah Barker and Londynn Jones. Last offseason, the 6-foot-4 Barker transferred to UCLA after two seasons at Texas A&M. The 5-foot-4 Jones has spent all three seasons of her college career with the Bruins.

UCLA’s entire freshman class—Kendall Dudley, Elina Aarinsalo, Avary Cain and Zania Socka-Nguemen—also is exiting LA. Dudley already has committed to Michigan, while Cain committed to Oregon.

Samuels is leaving Storrs

Even the national champions are not immune from the perceived promise of the portal. Qadence Samuels, who just finished her sophomore season, will leave UConn. The 6-foot-0 guard had a limited role for the Huskies this season. Last year, when UConn was plagued by injuries, she saw more playing time.

Kneepkens considers blue-chip options

Gianna Kneepkens, Utah’s leading scorer who shot almost 45 percent from 3 in her senior season for the Utes, understandably has attracted interest from some of the nation’s top programs. With one year of eligibility remaining, she is scheduled to visit South Carolina, UCLA, Texas and Oklahoma.

South Carolina lands Latson

Those stretches where South Carolina struggled to score? Problem solved.

Ta’Niya Latson, the nation’s leading scorer for the 2024-25 season, is transferring from Florida State to South Carolina. She’ll become one of the best perimeter scorers to ever wear a Gamecocks jersey, forming an offense-defense backcourt partnership with Raven Johnson, her AAU teammate who she will reunite with in Columbia, as Johnson will not go pro and return to South Carolina for her senior season. Latson also played AAU ball with MiLaysia Fulwiley, a backcourt pairing that, when revived in Garnet and Black, will be one of the nation’s most electric.

Miles moves to TCU

Last year, TCU head coach Mark Campbell lured Hailey Van Lith to Forth Worth, an addition that resulted in the Horned Frogs making the Elite Eight for the first time in program history.

This year? Campbell has made a bigger splash, convincing Olivia Miles to come to TCU after the would-have-been No. 2 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft decided to return to college, albeit not at Notre Dame. Another Notre Dame transfer, Kylee Watson, will join Miles at TCU.

How far can Miles take the Frogs? We’ll see. But Campbell’s repeated portal successes suggests that TCU is not a just a “cute story,” but a burgeoning power program.

Howell heads to Washington

Next Kelsey Plum incoming? Probably not, but Avery Howell will arrive in Seattle as the most highly-touted hooper since Plum Dawg was pouring in the points for the Huskies.

Howell, who surprisingly entered the portal after her freshman season at USC, has committed to Washington, which finished 19-14 overall and 9-9 in their first season in the Big Ten. The Huskies earned a First Four berth into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed, but lost to Columbia before making the field of 64.

Head coach Tina Langley also secured the commitment of Yulia Grabovskaia, a 6-foot-5 center who just completed her junior season at Michigan. She averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in less than 14 minutes per game for the Wolverines.

South Carolina, Staley turn attention to portal

Dawn Staley is the one of the best at what she does because she is attuned to pulse of the sport and its players. In 2025, the throbbing of the transfer portal is part of the lifeblood of women’s college basketball.

So, it shouldn’t be surprising that Staley was unabashed about announcing South Carolina’s portal ambitions after their loss in the national championship game. In fact, she has clear visions about returning to the final stage in 2026, boosted by transfers. Speaking in her postgame presser, Staley shared, “I’m excited for what our team will look like next year. I am, because I do think they’ll be talented enough to get here. Especially with (us) getting in the transfer portal and getting some experienced pieces that can help with this young group.”

She reiterated the sentiment when speaking to local media, noting that, although South Carolina did not have a “glaring need,” the team does “need some experienced players that can come in and contribute right away and bring some leadership to a core group of young players that are pretty talented.”

She later added, “There’s some things in the works that will make our team better.” That’s a statement that’s sure to inspire speculation!

Could former Florida State super scorer Ta’Niya Latson be on her way to Columbia? She was an AAU teammate of Raven Johnson, who is a draft-eligible junior who has yet to announce if she will turn pro or return for her senior season, and when asked about Latson, Johnson said, “I’d tell her let’s run it back…I’m gonna be in her ear”

Transfer triumphs for Maryland

Maryland fan Zack Ward recently wrote about the emotions the transfer portal has inflicted on Terrapin fans. So far, the 2025 portal is inspiring positive feelings, with head coach Brenda Frese securing commitments from Gracie Merkle and Yarden Garzon.

Merkle, a 6-foot-6 rising junior, played her freshman season at Bellarmine before transferring to Penn State. Her productivity increased with her jump to the Big Ten, as she averaged 15.5 points per game for the Lady Lions. Garzon played three seasons for Indiana, shooting better than 40 percent from 3 every year. As a junior, the 6-foot-3 Garzon averaged a career-best and team-leading 14.4 points per game.

LSU adds Koval, loses Del Rosario

Kate Koval is headed from South Bend to Baton Rouge, committing to LSU after leaving Notre Dame following her freshman season. The 6-foot-5 Koval profiles as the kind of board-grabbing, shot-blocking big that head coach Kim Mulkey likes deputize inside.

It’s role that Aalyah Del Rosario struggled to fill during her two seasons at LSU. She’s now headed elsewhere, putting her name in the transfer portal after a sophomore season in which saw just over six minutes of playing time per game.

Flau’jae will not enter the WNBA Draft

As first reported by The Athletic, Flau’jae Johnson will not enter the WNBA Draft and play her senior season of college basketball. According to ESPN, that season could be at LSU—or somewhere else, as Johnson could enter the transfer portal, where more lucrative NIL possibly await.

Yokie to look beyond basketball

Kansas State standout center Ayoka Lee announced that she will not enter the 2025 WNBA Draft.

After a seven-year college career that saw her battle a number of lower-body injuries, Lee wrote on Instagram that “it’s important to listen to what your body whispers to you before it begin to scream at you,” leading to her decision to “forgo the draft and explore this next season of life apart from basketball.”

Howell, Heckel choose to fight elsewhere

Avery Howell, who stepped up for USC as a starter following JuJu Watkins’ season-ending injury, has entered the transfer portal, a surprising decision considering she likely would have assumed a larger role for the Trojans next season due to the Watkins’ extended absence.

A 6-foot-0 guard, Howell shot nearly 40 percent from 3, as she averaged 7.5 points and three rebounds in more than 20 minutes per game.

One day later, fellow freshman Kayleigh Heckel announced the she also plans to put her name in the portal. While Heckel had a smaller role than Howell for the 2024-25 Trojans, the 5-foot-9 guard likewise was expected to become a more important contributor for USC next season.

Miles makes surprising decision

Widely projected to be the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, including by our Eric Nemchock, Olivia Miles will instead exercise her final year of college eligibility and enter the transfer portal.

After Notre Dame’s Sweet 16 loss, Miles was noncommittal about her basketball future, indicating her perspective “just changes every day” and that she was “deciding between a bunch of factors.” Miles cited college as “comfortable, a place where your have security,” in contrast to the WNBA where “the volatility is up and down.”

Miles, who missed all of last season due to a knee injured suffered at the end of the 2022-23 regular season, impressed in her return to the court, continuing to thrive as a creative playmaker while improving as a 3-point shooter.

Her skillset makes her the top player in the transfer portal, positioning her to target the program she prefers to join.

More Irish exits

Olivia Miles is not the only player leaving South Bend via the transfer portal.

Kate Koval, a 6-foot-5 forward who was the No. 5-ranked recruit in the class of 2024, has also put her name in the portal, as has Emma Risch, a 6-foot-1 guard who just completed her sophomore season. Kylee Watson, a 6-foot-4 forward who missed the 2024-25 season due to injury, later added her name to portal.

Combined with the graduations of Sonia Citron, Maddy Westbeld, Liatu King and Liza Karlen, Notre Dame, at least at the moment, appears to be dealing with a severe roster deficit ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Flau’jae mulls future

LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson, who has one year of college eligibility remaining but, because she will turn 22 before the end of the calendar year, is eligible for the 2025 WNBA Draft, may NOT be heading back to campus.

After LSU was eliminated in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, Johnson shared that she is still deciding whether to return to LSU or enter the draft. A pro-draft decision by Johnson could inspire nightmares for WNBA general managers who chose to trade lottery picks.

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey offered nothing but support and appreciation for Johnson, saying, “When I took the LSU job, Flau’jae was the first McDonald’s All-American that I signed. I had not coached and won anything at LSU, and she came to LSU. So she jump-started our program….I’m forever indebted to Flau’Jae Johnson.”

Jada goes with Iowa State

Jada Williams, who was considering offers from multiple schools after her exit from Arizona, has settled on Iowa State. Williams, a 5-foot-8 guard who will be entering her junior season, could for a dynamic partnership with star Cyclone center Audi Crooks, who previously made it clear that she would not be leaving Ames.

More losses for LSU?

Aneesah Morrow is off to the WNBA. Flau’jae Johnson might be as well. And now, Sa’Myah Smith has entered the transfer portal, meaning head coach Kim Mulkey might have to deal with the loss of three starters from this season’s Elite Eight team.

Smith, a 6-foot-2 forward, is fresh off an impressive NCAA Tournament run.

Last-Tear Poa also is looking for an opportunity elsewhere, with the 5-foot-11 guard putting her name in the portal after three seasons with the Tigers.

Coach Yo reloads

The portal taketh and the portal giveth.

Thus far, Ole Miss and head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin have been on the receiving end of the portal’s blessings, securing commitments from 6-foot-4 rising super senior forward Latasha Lattimore out of Virginia, 5-foot-9 rising super senior guard Kaitlin Peterson from UCF and 6-foot-1 rising senior forward Jayla Murray from Wichita State.

Silva selects TCU

Clara Silva is going from the Bluegrass State to the Lone Star State, with the 6-foot-7 center committing to TCU, where she should slide as the Horned Frogs’ primary frontcourt option on both ends of the floor.

Scott signs with Baylor

As addressed below, Taliah Scott had entered the transfer portal following Auburn’s dismissal of head coach Johnnie Harris. The rising junior guard has decided to head to Texas, joining Baylor and head coach Nicki Collen.

With the Bears sure to loose the services of Sarah Andrews, Scott can slide in as a near-ideal lead scoring guard in Waco.

Azzi is sticking around in Storrs

One of the most anticipated decisions belonged to UConn’s Azzi Fudd, who was eligible to enter the 2025 WNBA Draft or stay in Storrs for a final college season. To the satisfaction of the Husky faithful, she chose to stick around.

While projected as the No. 9 pick by our Eric Nemchock in his latest WNBA mock draft, and likely rising after her performance through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, Fudd desires to further develop her game, and believes Connecticut is the best place to do so, telling ESPN that another year at UConn will allow her to “work on everything I need to work on.”

Fudd also shared details from her conversation with head coach Geno Auriemma about her decision process with ESPN, revealing:

He said, “I would say 10 games, maybe, you’ve played to your full potential of who Azzi Fudd really is and so you wouldn’t do yourself justice leaving,. You would leave here not doing what you could in a UConn uniform.” I was like, “Yeah, he has a point.”

On Fudd’s return, Auriemma said to ESPN:

Having someone of Azzi’s ability and the way she can just control a game, she just hasn’t had an opportunity, at this point, to fully show who she is, what she can do, what impact she can have on our program and on college basketball. So hopefully being here another year, having an injury-free year, knock on wood, can remind everybody this is the Azzi Fudd that was coming out of high school, and can we get a full year out of that? I’m as excited as anybody, our fans, anybody to see what can happen.

Williams headlines Arizona exodus

Five Arizona players have put their names in the transfer portal, including leading scorer Jada Williams, who just completed her sophomore season. An heralded recruit, Williams has yet to have the impact imagined at the college level, although her talents should lead to plenty of inquiries from high-profile programs.

Williams revealed on Instagram that she already has visited Iowa. Other visits are expected.

Super scorer leaving Seminoles?

The nation’s leading scorer is the leading name in the transfer portal. Ta’Niya Latson, who averaged a Division I-best 25.2 points per game as a junior at Florida State, is expected to take her talents elsewhere.

According to sources, Latson’s decision was not a surprise to the Seminoles, with the super scoring guard in line to command rich NIL offers from other programs. Although, Latson’s close relationship with FSU head coach Brooke Wycoff could lead to her returning to Tallahassee.

McMahon’s making a move

One of most eye-popping entries into the portal is Cotie McMahon, who has one year of eligibility remaining after three seasons at Ohio State, where she was a two-time All-Big Ten First Team selection.

A physical forward who has improved an outside shooter, McMahon is likely to attract inquiries from a number of top programs.

ACC’s best bench player puts name in portal

ACC Sixth Player of the Year Dani Carnegie announced on Instagram that she is entering the portal. As a freshman, the guard averaged 12.9 points and 4.5 rebounds for Georgia Tech.

Serah Williams to Storrs?

Head coach Marisa Moseley is out at Wisconsin, and it looks like Serah Williams also will depart Madison. In three seasons at Wisconsin, the 6-foot-4 forward secured a pair of All-Big Ten First Team honors. Williams is coming off a junior season in which she averaged a near double-double with 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.

According to Carl Adamec of CT Insider, UConn has expressed interest in Williams. It is worth noting that Moseley, who resigned from her post at Wisconsin, served as an assistant at UConn from 2009 to 2018.

Where might Scott rediscover her scoring groove?

Another coaching change has (possibly) sparked another player move. Auburn moved on from head coach Johnnie Harris, and guard Taliah Scott could move on from the Tigers. After spending her freshman season at Arkansas, where she averaged almost 22 points per game, Scott’s tenure at Auburn never took off due to injury, as she appeared in just three games.

The scoring talent she flashed as a freshman understandably has enticed top programs, as Scott entered the portal with a “do not contact” tag, indicating she has her preferred options outlined. She reportedly has scheduled visits to Miami and LSU, although a return to Auburn, now under the leadership of former Norfolk State head coach Larry Vickers, remains under consideration.

Wheeler headlines NSU entries

While Scott may not choose to return to Auburn, could Kierra Wheeler head to the Plains, following Vickers from Norfolk State? The 6-foot-1 forward who has one year of eligibility remaining was a three-time All-MEAC selection, including the 2023-24 MEAC Player of the Year, under Vickers, helping to lead the Spartans to three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

Two other Spartans, Da’Brya Clark and Anjanae Richardson, also have entered the portal. Clark earned a spot on the All-MEAC Third Team this season, while Richardson was the MEAC Sixth Player of the Year.

Silva seeks new opportunity

6-foot-7 Clara Silva, who just completed her freshman season at Kentucky, has put her name in the portal with a “do not contact” designation, which suggests, but does not confirm, that she has new destination already circled.

Behind rising junior Clara Strack in the Wildcats’ frontcourt rotation, it is understandable that Silva might be looking for a program where she would be guaranteed to start, or at least see more minutes. She averaged 12.5 minutes per game, scoring four points, grabbing 2.6 rebounds and swatting 1.1 shots.

Chavez makes decision later or Sooner

Aaliyah Chavez, the No. 1-ranked recruit in the class of 2025, had delayed making her college decision, choosing between Texas Tech, Texas, LSU, Oklahoma, South Carolina and UCLA.

The 5-foot-11 point guard from Lubbock, TX finally announced that she is headed to Norman, joining an Oklahoma Sooner squad that has advanced to the Sweet 16.