Oklahoma State and UCLA Just Loaded Up in the Portal and March Isn't Ready

The women's college basketball transfer portal has officially closed, and the dust is settling on what might be the wildest offseason in years. The top teams didn't mess around. Oklahoma State and UCLA didn't just add pieces, they basically rebuilt entire rosters with All-American talent, and if you're not paying attention to what's happening in women's hoops right now, you're sleeping on something real.

Oklahoma State Landed the Nation's Second-Leading Scorer

Jacie Hoyt's Cowgirls went absolutely nuclear in the portal. They nabbed Audi Crooks from Iowa State, who was the nation's second-leading scorer. That's not a complementary piece, that's a franchise player. Paired with dynamic guard Liv McGill from Florida, sharpshooter Ellie Brueggemann from Lindenwood, and versatile forward Nènè Ndiaye from Rutgers, Oklahoma State constructed a roster built for a deep March run. They didn't stop there either. They pulled in former Baylor guard Yuting Deng, Utah guard LA Sneed, and Missouri State guard Zoe Canfield to lock down the backcourt depth. Hoyt put it simply on social media: "Grateful for players that believed in a vision and that had the courage to blaze their own path." When you can pair that portal haul with returning All-Big 12 selection Stailee Heard, you're looking at a team that can legitimately compete for a national championship.

UCLA Rebuilt After Sending Their Top Six to the WNBA

Here's the wild part about UCLA's offseason: they won the national championship last year, then watched their top six players get drafted to the WNBA. Most rosters would panic. Coach Cori Close and her staff didn't flinch. They brought in Iowa State forward Addy Brown, a do-it-all talent that can play anywhere on the floor. North Carolina's Elina Aarnisalo, who helped the Tar Heels reach the Sweet 16, came back to the Bruins. Arkansas's Bonnie Deas, one of the top SEC rookies, joined the mix. They added TCU's Donovyn Hunter and Notre Dame's KK Bransford to round it out. With Sienna Betts returning, the Bruins look ready to compete in March again. Close's staff proved they know how to rebuild on the fly.

The Full Top Five Is Stacked

Ole Miss, Arizona State, and North Carolina round out the top five, and each one assembled rosters that can legitimately make noise in their respective conferences. Ole Miss brought in two top SEC guards in Talaysia Cooper and Jada Richard. Arizona State's Molly Miller added depth across the board with Ruby Whitehorn, Rashunda Jones, and MAC Player of the Year Madi Morson. North Carolina checked every box on Courtney Banghart's wishlist. The portal has officially reset the landscape, and March is going to be absolutely stacked.

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