What's next for eliminated women's Sweet 16 teams: Recruits, transfer portal, more – ESPN

Mikayla Blakes keeps Vanderbilt close with an and-1 layup late vs. Notre Dame. (0:24)
All four No. 1 seeds advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 women’s NCAA tournament. Thirteen of the top 16 seeds reached the regional semifinals. But as the next round is set Friday and Saturday, the offseason officially starts for some.
Here’s your guide to their expected departures, returnees, top incoming recruits and where that leaves their personnel priorities for when the transfer portal opens April 6.
Record: 24-9 (13-5 in Big Ten)
How their season ended: Lost to UCLA in Sweet 16
Expected departures
Amaya Battle (11.3 PPG)
Sophie Hart (11.1 PPG)
Brylee Glenn (6.4 PPG)
Finau Tonga (4.7 PPG)
Tracey Bershers (2.0 PPG)
Players with remaining eligibility
Tori McKinney (12.9 PPG)
Grace Grocholski (12.1 PPG)
Mara Braun (11.8 PPG)
Makena Christian (3.7 PPG)
Niamya Holloway (1.7 PPG)
Kennedy Klick (1.6 PPG)
Brynn Senden (0.6 PPG)
Top incoming recruit: Natalie Kussow (No. 40)
Voted Ms. Basketball in Wisconsin, Kussow should fit well with Minnesota’s style of play. She’s a shooting guard who averaged 26.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists for state champion Arrowhead. Kussow had 34 points in the title game. The question will be where she fits in the rotation. With Braun a full season removed from a second foot injury and McKinney and Grocholski also expected back, the backcourt has plenty of experience on the wing. With Battle’s departure, those minutes will be available. A point guard is more of a need; the Gophers added one with in-state recruit Tori Oehrlein (No. 58).
Portal priorities: The top scorers are expected back. The size is not. The recruiting class also included 6-foot-4 Adit Kuol, but if Minnesota is going to duplicate a top-20 season, coach Dawn Plitzuweit will have to get some veteran interior help. The 6-2 Tonga was a grad transfer this year from San Jose State. That might be the pool the coaching staff needs to dip into again. Hart, who was in the program for three years after leaving NC State, will be harder to replace. She was the Gophers’ inside anchor, and Plitzuweit will have to reach a higher level in the portal to find someone with that kind of Power 4 conference experience. Minnesota would also have room for a true point guard.
Record: 28-8 (14-4 in ACC)
How their season ended: Lost to UConn in Sweet 16
Expected departures
Nyla Harris (11.5 PPG)
Indya Nivar (10.3 PPG)
Players with remaining eligibility
Lanie Grant (11.1 PPG)
Elina Aarnisalo (10.4 PPG)
Ciera Toomey (8.9 PPG)
Nyla Brooks (8.7 PPG)
Reniya Kelly (6.1 PPG)
Laila Hull (4.2 PPG)
Taliyah Henderson (3.8 PPG)
Taissa Queiroz (2.9 PPG)
Jordan Zubich (2.1 PPG)
Liza Astakhova (2.1 PPG)
Blanca Thomas (1.7 PPG)
Sydney Barker (0.4 PPG)
Top incoming recruit: Kate Harpring (No. 4)
What should be a deep backcourt gets even deeper and much better with Harpring. The highest-ranked recruit ever brought in by coach Courtney Banghart, Harpring should be a starter from day one at the point. A 3,000-point career scorer at Marist School in Atlanta and one of five finalists for the Naismith high school player of the year, the 5-foot-10 Harpring is firmly entrenched in USA Basketball, winning a gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Cup and averaging 8.3 points in the seven games. Harpring, the daughter of former Georgia Tech star and 11-year NBA player Matt Harpring, has been named to the 2026 Nike Hoop Summit Team. Although four players averaged between 10.3 and 11.5 PPG for UNC this season, no star developed for the Tar Heels. Harpring could be that player in 2027.
Portal priorities: Any transfers will dictate how deeply Banghart dives into the portal. Harris was the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, and her work on the glass might be most missed. North Carolina was only 10th in the ACC in rebounding with Harris, who was brought in for one year from Louisville to do exactly that. An upgrade on the boards will be necessary to play deeper into March. If there is a veteran power forward who doesn’t need to be an offensive priority, that might be the missing piece. If Grant, Aarnisalo and Kelly all stay in Chapel Hill, the backcourt rotation is full, but if a spot-up shooter is available, the Tar Heels could find a place for her.
Record: 29-5 (13-3 in ACC)
How their season ended: Lost to Notre Dame in Sweet 16
Expected departures
Justine Pissott (11.4 PPG)
Sacha Washington (10.4 PPG)
Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda (7.0 PPG)
Jada Brown (3.2 PPG)
Players with remaining eligibility
Mikayla Blakes (27.0 PPG)
Aubrey Galvan (13.2 PPG)
Aiyana Mitchell (5.9 PPG)
Aga Makurat (3.2 PPG)
Ava Black (2.9 PPG)
Trinity Wilson (1.0 PPG)
Monique Williams (0.9 PPG)
Madison Greene (redshirt)
Top incoming recruit: Olivia Jones (No. 14)
If anyone is looking for a player comp for Jones, they don’t have to look far. Blakes is the answer. Jones’ strengths are as a driver and shot creator. Her teammates at Long Island Lutheran include four other top-25 recruits, so Jones understands high-level competitiveness. As part of the gold-medal-winning Team USA U16 team at the FIBA AmeriCup last summer, the 5-foot-11 Jones averaged 8.0 points and 3.8 assists. The Commodores didn’t stop there, also adding 6-4 Jhai Johnson from California, exemplifying once again how the reach of Vanderbilt recruiting has grown under Shea Ralph.
Portal priorities: A mobile big would be a good place to start. The offense needs to be spread for Blakes and Galvan to maximize their one-on-one skills. A traditional post doesn’t work; the Commodores need someone who can run the high pick-and-roll. That is what made Washington a good fit. Another shooter to additionally spread the floor should also be at the top of Ralph’s portal wish list. The opportunity to play with a humble superstar such as Blakes and a passer of Galvan’s quality should be an easy sell. Targeting the right personality fit will be the coaching staff’s biggest challenge.

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