Oklahoma State Made the Portal Haul Nobody Saw Coming, and the Big 12 Should Be Worried

The women's college basketball transfer portal closed on April 20, and when the dust settled, Oklahoma State had done something nobody else came close to matching. While nine Cowgirls left the program, head coach Jacie Hoyt didn't panic. Instead, she completely revamped the roster and somehow made it better on paper.

Let's be real: landing Audi Crooks, the nation's leading scorer from Iowa State, is the kind of move that changes a program. But Hoyt didn't stop there. She also grabbed Liv McGill, a dynamic SEC guard from Florida. Then she added Ellie Brueggemann, who ranked seventh nationally in 3-point shooting, and versatile Rutgers forward Nènè Ndiaye. The best part? Oklahoma State kept Stailee Heard, one of their best players. A starting five of McGill, Brueggemann, Heard, Ndiaye and Crooks is going to give matchup nightmares to every team in the Big 12.

TCU, Ole Miss, and Arizona State All Made Serious Moves

Oklahoma State wasn't alone in winning the portal cycle. TCU coach Mark Campbell has a track record now of finding talent and getting the most out of it. After going to back-to-back Elite Eights, he had holes to fill with Olivia Miles and Marta Suarez heading to the WNBA. Campbell landed North Carolina's Lanie Grant, Stanford's Lara Somfai, Oklahoma State's Jadyn Wooten and LSU's Bella Hines. Grant shot 42% from three, Hines hit 37%, and Wooten ranked 10th nationally in assists per 40 minutes at 7.7. Somfai, the 12th-best recruit in the 2025 class, averaged 10.8 points and 9.1 rebounds as a freshman for the Cardinal.

Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said after a Sweet 16 loss in 2023 that she was "about to do damage in the portal." She's made good on that promise every year since, and this offseason was no different. Coach Yo landed Tennessee's leading scorer Talaysia Cooper, LSU starting guard Jada Richard, Tennessee guard Jada Civil, San Jose State's Maya Anderson, UMBC's Jade Tillman, and Illinois State's Doneelah Washington, the Most Improved Player in the Missouri Valley Conference. Nine total portal additions for Ole Miss, and Cooper and Richard should be the engines that drive this new team. Ole Miss has now made five consecutive NCAA Tournaments.

Arizona State didn't waste time either. Coach Molly Miller locked down former Tennessee standout Ruby Whitehorn before the portal even officially opened. Whitehorn averaged 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 46.3% from the floor. When the portal opened, Arizona State added All-Big Ten defender Rashunda Jones, MAC leader in field goal percentage Ayanna-Sarai Darrington, MAC Player of the Year Madi Morson and Quinnipiac freshman sharpshooter Ella Ryan.

UCLA Has Work to Do After Losing Six to the WNBA

Not every team had a portal haul like Oklahoma State. UCLA had to replace six players who won a national championship before heading to the WNBA. Coach Cori Close brought in Iowa State's Addy Brown, North Carolina's Elina Aarnisalo, TCU's Donovyn Hunter and Arkansas' Bonnie Deas to rebuild.

With rosters taking shape across women's college basketball, some programs are now contenders while others face rebuilding projects. The portal era has created a new kind of offseason where one transfer haul can completely flip a program's outlook for March.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.