We live in an unprecedented time in terms of freedom of movement for college athletes. The removal of restrictions around transfers and paying players has completely changed the way that teams build their rosters.
Look no further than newly-minted national champion UCLA in women’s college basketball. The Bruins are, relatively, a success story for homegrown talent, recruiting and developing key stars such as Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez. Even then, though, other big-time players such as Lauren Betts (Stanford), Gianna Kneepkens (Utah) and Charlisse Leger-Walker (Washington State) came to Westwood from other schools during their college journey.
It’s clear that teams need to play the portal well to build the best possible team and compete with the elite. Here are the top players available in the transfer portal, with regular updates on their chosen commitments.
College basketball portal updates
This will be a running log that is updated regularly with transfer commitments.
Monday, 4/27
- Former Penn State guard Kiyomi McMiller commits to Florida. The Gators bounce back from the loss of Liv McGill in the form of McMiller, whose 21.6 PPG ranked third in the Big ten last season.
Thursday, 4/23
- Former Iowa State forward Addy Brown commits to UCLA. Brown joins the reigning champion Bruins after averaging 11.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 21 games last season.
Wednesday, 4/22
- Former Maryland guard Kaylene Smikle commits to Tennessee. Smikle had her 2025-26 season cut short by knee surgery, but she was a First Team All-Big-Ten selection as a junior.
Sunday, 4/19
- Former Princeton guard Madison St. Brown commits to Notre Dame. St. Brown led the Tigers to their fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth in 2026.
- Former Iowa State center Audi Crooks commits to Oklahoma State. Crooks, the top player available and second-leading scorer in the nation a year ago, gives Oklahoma State a second top-five transfer in addition to Liv McGill.
- Former Texas forward Justice Carlton commits to Houston. Carlton came on strong late and earned All-SEC Tournament Team honors with the Longhorns.
Saturday, 4/18
- Former Texas guard Jordan Lee commits to South Carolina. The Gamecocks hope adding the all-around guard will help push them back over the championship hump.
- Former North Carolina State forward Tilda Trygger commits to Washington. Trygger averaged 10.6 points and seven rebounds while starting all 30 of the games she played in 2025-26.
Friday, 4/17
- Virginia guard Kymora Johnson withdraws her name from the portal. The All-ACC guard gives new head coach Aaron Roussell a huge win.
Thursday, 4/16
- Former Charleston guard Taryn Barbot commits to Pittsburgh. Barbot averaged 20.1 points per game last season and heads to Pitt alongside sister Taylor.
Wednesday, 4/15
- Former Stanford forward Nunu Agara commits to Stanford. Agara was a two-time All-ACC Second Team selection with the Cardinal.
Tuesday 4/14
- Former North Carolina State guard Zamareya Jones commits to Louisville. A former five-star recruit, Jones averaged nearly 15 points per game last season.
- Former Florida guard Liv McGill commits to Oklahoma State. McGill averaged 22.5 points and 6.3 assists per game as a sophomore, giving the Cowgirls one of the most elite players available.
Sunday, 4/12
- Former Texas forward Aaliyah Crump commits to Duke. Crump was a five-star recruit but came off the bench after an early-season foot injury.
- Former Iowa State guard Jada Williams commits to LSU. Williams is one of the best floor generals in the country, ranking third in the nation with 7.7 assists per game and 19th with a 2.22 assist-to-turnover ratio.
- Former Tennessee guard Mia Pauldo commits to Rutgers. Pauldo was named to the SEC All-Freshman team and now heads to New Jersey alongside her sister, Mya.
Saturday, 4/11
- Former Georgia guard Dani Carnegie commits to Iowa. Carnegie was a first-team All-SEC selection this past season.
Friday, 4/9
- Former North Carolina guard Lanie Grant commits to TCU. Grant is one of the best shooters in the country, coming off a season in which she blistered the nets with a 41.9% mark on 5.2 3-point attempts per game.
Wednesday, 4/8
- Former Tennessee guard Talaysia Cooper commits to Ole Miss. As a redshirt junior, Cooper was named to the SEC’s all-conference second team and all-defensive first team.
- Former Stanford forward Lara Somfai commits to TCU. With seven graduating seniors and departing transfers such as Donovyn Hunter and Aaliyah Roberson, Somfai is a key addition for the Horned Frogs’ depth.
Who are the top players in the transfer portal?
- Audi Crooks, C, Iowa State → Oklahoma State
- Jordan Lee, G, Texas → South Carolina
- Kymora Johnson, G, Virginia → Staying at Virginia
- Liv McGill, G, Florida → Oklahoma State
- Kiyomi McMiller, G, Penn State → Florida
- Talaysia Cooper, G, Tennessee → Ole Miss
- Dani Carnegie, G, Georgia → Iowa
- Zamareya Jones, G, NC State → Louisville
- Addy Brown, F, Iowa State → UCLA
- Taryn Barbot, G, Charleston → Pittsburgh
- Jada Williams, PG, Iowa State → LSU
- Nunu Agara, F, Stanford → Maryland
- Aaliyah Crump, F, Texas → Duke
- Tilda Trygger, C, NC State → Washington
- Mia Pauldo, G, Tennessee → Rutgers
- Madison St. Rose, G, Princeton → Notre Dame
- Lara Somfai, F, Stanford → TCU
- Justice Carlton, F, Texas → Houston
- Kaylene Smikle, G, Maryland → Tennessee
- Lanie Grant, G, North Carolina → TCU
How long is the transfer portal open?
The men’s transfer portal opened on Monday, April 6, the day after UCLA won the national championship game. The window closes on Monday, April 20, creating a two-week window for teams to build out their rosters and for players to find a home. Players can only enter the portal after April 20 if there is a coaching change.
Why are so many college players entering the transfer portal?
The rules around transfers became significantly less restrictive in 2021. Before that year’s NCAA rules changes, athletes in high-profile sports like basketball had to sit out for a full academic year if they transferred to a new Division I school (unless they received a hardship waiver from the NCAA). In April 2024, the NCAA removed restrictions on how many times a player can transfer and play immediately.
In short, there is more freedom for players to move around than ever before. That, in combination with the continued development of NIL initiatives, means more and more players can find lucrative deals to play at other schools.
