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Women's College Basketball Transfer Portal: Top 20 player rankings, plus the latest scoop – 247Sports
The college basketball transfer portal isn’t just open on the men’s side of things. There are also a host of talented women who are in the portal looking for new homes, including some absolute superstars. It was time to take a shot at ranking the best of the best.
As you look at these rankings, keep in mind that they are generated by weighing how many years of eligibility a prospect has remaining in addition to their statistical production. The younger a prospect, the more value she has over an older player with similar stats.
So, here’s a look at the 20 most valuable players in the women’s college basketball transfer portal. These rankings are powered by BrandonClayScouting.com.
Aneesah Morrow’s numbers were absolutely staggering this season. The All-American averaged 25.7 points and 12.2 rebounds per game in 35 minutes a contest. Morrow’s recruitment is expected to be limited to the elite upper echelon of the women’s game today. Her ability to play 32-36 minutes a game with a usage rate that doesn’t tail off late in the game is special.
Morrow just visited Southern Cal over the weekend. LSU, South Carolina and the aforementioned Trojans are her final three and she has officials planned for each of them.
Hailey Van Lith is the most explosive offensive perimeter player on this list. She went backwards in 2022-23 statistically with her shooting perspective dropping to 41.1 FGA, 29.3 3PFG respectively. That being said, Van Lith’s volume increased drastically as she finished with 19.7 point in 36.9 minutes played per game.
Look for Van Lith to transfer to a program that already has a National Championship in the trophy case. Van Lith visited LSU last Thursday and is expected to make a college choice official as soon as this Thursday.
Lauren Betts’ place on this list is in large part due to the potential she flashed as a high school prospect just a year ago.
During her first year at Stanford, he put up reserve-level numbers across the board, finishing with 5.9 points, 3.5 rebounds in just under 10 minutes per game while playing behind All-American Cameron Brink. Betts is a potential difference maker for a program that needs her to play 25-plus minutes a game in 2023-24. She’s the only freshman we have in our Top 20 portal rankings.
Former Iowa State guard Lexi Donarski saw some slippage in the 2022-23 season mainly from beyond the three-point line, dropping from 37 percent per to 31.8 in 32 games of play. But, at close to 6-feet, she’s still the premier shot maker in the portal.
As of now, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year is planning to use both years of eligibility with her eye on the 2025 WNBA Draft. She was on campus at Indiana three weeks ago and visited North Carolina last Tuesday. We expect Donarski to make a decision in the next week to 10 days at the latest. A third official visit in that timespan is still a possibility.
Kennedy Todd-Williams produced at an All-ACC level in Chapel Hill, averaging 13.4 points per contest to go along with 5.4 rebounds.
With two year’s of eligibility remaining, Todd-Williams will likely look to be more efficient from the field at her next stop as she averaged just 39% on FG. She’s a factor on both ends of the hardwood and is a great pickup for the Rebels.
Playing for a team that finished 13-17, Curry had the freedom to do whatever she needed to do to keep the Golden Bears in games this past season. She scored 15.5 points a game but only shot 37.9 from the field in the process after averaging 18.6 on 38.6 as a freshman. Curry was an All-Pac-12 selection but will look to be more efficient surrounded by more talent in Louisville than she was on campus in Berkeley.
Endyia Rogers had the best year of anyone in the portal with a single year of eligibility remaining.
She averaged 15.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists for a Ducks team that won 20 games. In addition, she shot over 45% from the field and just under 39% from three-point range.
Rogers is an instant upgrade at the point guard spot for the majority of teams who made the tournament in 2023.
Here comes the run on one-year eligible transfers.
Celeste Taylor was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2022-23 averaging 2.2 steals a game. On the offensive end, Taylor brings a shooter guard mindset and was able to give Kara Lawson’s roster 11.4 points a game. Also, her field goal percentage has increased from 34% as a freshman to 39.4% in 2022-23.
Frannie Hottinger can make a real case that she is the most productive player in the portal not named Morrow or Van Lith.
Hottinger had a special season, scoring 20.3 points and grabbing 9.5 rebounds a game en route to winning the Patriot League Player of the Year.
But still, her struggles from the three-point line has limited her catch-and-shoot consistency (Hottinger converted on just 28% of those shots this year). As she she looks to move onto a bigger stage next year, she’ll focus on being a more consistent threat from the arc.
There is statistical value written all over Te-Hina Paopao’s game.
She was ranked as the seventh best non-senior three-point shooter in the country at 42.4% for the 2022-23 season. Add that to her 13 points and 3.3 assists per contest, and you have a guard capable of impacting the game at the point or off the ball as a catch-and-shoot sniper. Paopao visited South Carolina on an official visit over the weekend. Her time window for a college choice is a week to 10 days.
The Sun Belt Player of the Year will play her final season for a Power 5 program. Jefferson was a really high level producer averaging 18.7 points and 7.9 rebounds for a James Madison roster that won the Sun Belt advancing to the NCAA Tournament in the process. Jefferson will have a chance to enhance her WNBA Draft stock with e productive graduate senior campaign at Louisville.
Rogers averaged 168.8 points per playing alongside No. 1 transfer Aneesah Morrow. Like Morrow, Rogers also makes an impact on the glass averaging just shy of five rebounds per contest. Rogers’ playmaking ability and versatility sets her apart from most of the transfers available. She shot 88.7 percent from the free throw line offsetting the drop from 40.5 to 31.8 from the 3-point line in 2022-23.
Coulibaly had a really good season, leading the Tigers back into the postseason with a WNIT bid. She averaged 16 points and 6.5 rebounds in the process. Coulibaly’s bounce and athleticism translates well for rosters looking for a scoring guard. We wouldn’t be shocked to see her stay in the SEC when her recruitment all comes to a close.
Gakdeng brings a value to Chapel Hill that is hard to quantify. There aren’t many great rim-protector out there in the portal, but the 6-foot-3 Gakdeng has the length and size to be one of the ACC’s best interior defenders yet again. She averaged 1.8 blocks last season to go along with 11.3 points last year for BC. If she can bring that type of impact to Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels instantly help offset the loss of Kennedy Todd-Williams.
Park-Lane is a sparkplug at the point guard position who has had multiple years of quality production at the collegiate level. She has been an All-Big East selection each of the last three seasons. She averaged 20.8 points and 6.3 assists per game. Though Park-Lane shot just 28 percent from beyond the arc, she still makes a ton of positive plays and will add significant value to Mississippi State.
Barnum brings legitimate length and size to the frontcourt. She posted a nice statline of 15 points and 6.5 rebounds last season. What she lacked in shot making outside of the paint, she made up for inside of it. Barnum was a 55.6 percent shooter overall. Her 3-point shooting was vastly improved at 29.5 as opposed to 18.8 in 2021-22. Barnum’s free throw shooting line at 64.4 limits her ability to increase the per game point production.
Barnum took a visit to Mississippi State last weekend.
An All-MVC selection, Wells was a gamer in every situation for Bart Brooks roster the past three seasons. Her numbers were elite in every sense. She averaged 19.5 points, 4.9 assists and three rebounds per in 2022-23. Wells shot the ball with accuracy, too, posting 49/46/86 FG/3PT/FT splits. Those numbers put her on the verge of the prestigious 180 club.
Johnson has played in some big games during her time in Raleigh. She hasn’t been able to match her freshman year production but Johnson has been a consistent threat in the backcourt for Wes Moore. After averaging 12.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists, Johnson will head to the portal looking to find a new home to take that next leap in her game.
Micheaux is another interior-based portal option who put up quality production last season. She nearly tripled her scoring output going from 4.7 points to 13.8 per game. At the same time, Micheaux almost doubled her rebounding numbers leaping from 4.1 to 7.9 per game. Micheaux will provide the Hokies with another active body willing to get the dirty work done in an ultra-competitive ACC.
Kramer is the second of two Lehigh prospects on this list. She fills a very specific need: 3-point shooting. Like the aforementioned Paopao, Kramer shot just under 43 percent from beyond the arc this past season, which ranks fifth amongst non-seniors in the entire country.
Brandon Clay is a contributor for 247Sports. You can follow him on Twitter here.
The Brandon Clay National Scouting Report, compiled by Peach State Basketball, Inc. owner Brandon Clay, is designed to be one of the industry’s premier grassroots scouting and recruiting sources for girls’ high school basketball. The Brandon Clay Scouting Report features write-ups on the best and most talented prospects that both club teams and high schools have to offer. We are in the gym for high school games, quiet or dead period events, travel team tournaments, and exposure events across the region throughout the year. You will receive weekly information online on who is hot, who is not, and who the key players are nationwide on every level of college-bound play.
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