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

MiLaysia Fulwiley creates space with a crossover dribble and takes it to the rim. (0:24)
All four No. 1 seeds advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2026 women’s NCAA tournament. Thirteen of the top 16 seeds reached the regional semifinals. But with the Elite Eight underway, the offseason officially starts for some of them.
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.

Jump to: Duke | Notre Dame | Virginia | Oklahoma | Kentucky | LSU
Louisville | Minnesota | North Carolina | Vanderbilt
Record: 27-9 (16-2 in ACC)
How their season ended: Lost to UCLA in Elite Eight
Expected departures
Ashlon Jackson (11.2 PPG)
Taina Mair (11.0 PPG)
Hailey Johnson (1.6 PPG)
Olivia Martin (1.2 PPG)
Players with remaining eligibility
Toby Fournier (17.4 PPG)
Delaney Thomas (11.1 PPG)
Riley Nelson (9.4 PPG)
Arianna Roberson (8.3 PPG)
Jordan Wood (4.9 PPG)
Emilee Skinner (4.3 PPG)
Jadyn Donovan (1.6 PPG)
Anna Wikstrom (1.3 PPG)
Emma Koabel (redshirt)
Top incoming recruit: Autumn Fleary (No. 12)
Kara Lawson landed three players in the top 25 of the SC Next 100, and Fleary is the highest rated of the group and the top point guard in the entire class. Her on-ball defensive skills make the 5-foot-7 Fleary, who comes from the same high school in Washington, D.C., (Sidwell Friends) as current Blue Devil Donovan, a natural fit for Lawson’s approach. Bella Flemings, a combo guard form San Antonio, and Sanai Green, a recruiting win from Long Island, join Fleary to form what could be the future Duke backcourt.

Portal priorities: Skinner was with the Blue Devils all season but in many ways, she will seem like a portal addition. A lower leg injury kept her out of all but three games, so it’s easy to forget Skinner was the No. 4-rated recruit a year ago. She is the ready-made replacement for Mair at the point or has the size to move off the ball if Fleary is ready to lead the Blue Devils as a freshman. Nelson and Wood are capable from distance, but Duke can certainly use more shooters to surround Fournier and Thomas, especially with the loss of Jackson. Another fierce perimeter defender would fit nicely, especially if Lawson can combine that shooter and defender in the same player.
Record: 25-11 (12-6 in ACC)
How their season ended: Lost to UConn in Elite Eight
Expected departures
Iyana Moore (12.2 PPG)
Vanessa de Jesus (8.6 PPG)
Malaya Cowles (8.0 PPG)
Gisela Sanchez (6.0 PPG)
Bella Tehrani (0.4 PPG)
Jordyn Smith (0.3 PPG)
Players with remaining eligibility
Hannah Hidalgo (25.2 PPG)
Cassandre Prosper (13.9 PPG)
KK Bransford (7.5 PPG)
Kelly Ratigan (1.4 PPG)
Luci Jensen (0.3 PPG)
Leah Macy (redshirt)
Top incoming recruit: Jacy Abii (No. 9)
Abii is the crown jewel of what is arguably the best recruiting class in Niele Ivey’s tenure as head coach at Notre Dame. Abii’s versatility, particularly her talent as a passer, and length at 6-foot-2 on the wing should give Ivey some options once the incoming freshman settles into the college game. Three of the four other members of the class — Amari Byles, Isabella Ragone and Isabella Sangha — are 6-2 or taller. Notre Dame will also add 6-2 Leah Macy to the mix. Macy was a 2025 McDonald’s All American and the No. 19-rated recruit, but she sat out this season recovering from a knee injury suffered during her senior year in high school.

Portal priorities: It’s back to the portal drawing board for Ivey. Last offseason she filled out her roster with a collection of transfers with one year of eligibility left to provide Hidalgo with experience. All of them are gone now, but the strategy shouldn’t change. To maximize Hidalgo’s talents, she needs shooters and versatile wings around her. Abii might be able to fill the former void, but the Irish will need some experience, too. A rim protector and another ball handler would also be advisable. How deeply Ivey has to dig into the portal will be determined by Prosper’s decision to come back or not. The ACC’s most improved player has another year of eligibility if she wants to use it. The recruiting class is an encouraging sign of Notre Dame building from within again, but Hidalgo needs veteran teammates to get the most out of her final year in South Bend.
Record: 22-12 (11-7 in ACC)
How their season ended: Lost to TCU in Sweet 16
Expected departures:
Paris Clark (9.4 PPG)
Romi Levy (8.3 PPG)
Caitlin Weimar (7.7 PPG)
Jillian Brown (2.7 PPG)
Danelle Arigbabu (1.0 PPG)
Players with remaining eligibility:
Kymora Johnson (19.5 PPG)
Tabitha Amanze (9.4 PPG)
Sa’Myah Smith (8.0 PPG)
Gabby White (6.2 PPG)
Adeang Ring (3.7 PPG)
Breona Hurd (3.6 PPG)
Olivia McGhee (2.5 PPG)
Raiane Dias Dos Santos (2.3 PPG)
Top incoming recruit: None
Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton has yet to sign anyone, and that will make her work in the transfer portal imperative. Getting a healthy season from 6-foot-2 junior-to-be Hurd, whose development suffered a setback because of a midseason injury that cost her 11 games, and more production from 5-10 guard White, who was a top-100 recruit last year, would help.

Portal priorities: Last spring, Agugua-Hamilton built a team around Johnson with transfers, and the Cavaliers were one of the ACC’s biggest surprises. With Johnson likely back, Agugua-Hamilton needs a repeat portal performance. With Amanze and Smith still in the mix, she won’t need the same number of players she brought in last offseason (7), but who returns to Virginia will determine if it can duplicate this year’s run. Clark and Levy became important secondary and tertiary scorers in the postseason, and getting another backcourt scorer should be the priority, preferably one who has 3-point range.
Record: 26-8 (11-5 in SEC)
How their season ended: Lost to South Carolina in Sweet 16
Expected departures:
Raegan Beers (15.8 PPG)
Payton Verhulst (12.0 PPG)
Beatrice Culliton (1.1 PPG)
Players with remaining eligibility:
Aaliyah Chavez (18.3 PPG)
Sahara Williams (12.5 PPG)
Zya Vann (10.5 PPG)
Brooklyn Stewart (6.8 PPG)
Caya Smith (4.4 PPG)
Keziah Lofton (4.0 PPG)
Emma Tolan (1.5 PPG)
Daffa Cissoko (0.4 PPG)
Top incoming recruit: Alliyah Bell (No. 36)
Despite not being directly recruited to Oklahoma, Beers and Verhulst became synonymous with the program. They will not be easy to replace, making next season a potential transition campaign for the Sooners. Expectations could be adjusted depending on how well Jennie Baranczyk’s three-player recruiting class adjusts to life in the SEC. Bell is the top-rated and most crucial of those incoming freshmen. She is a 6-foot-3 power forward who was the North Dakota state Player of the Year and averaged 27.4 points per game at Minot High School. Bell is not a direct replacement for Beers but could be the inside scorer and rebounder the Sooners will need. Vienna Murray is a 6-foot-1 wing from Minnesota and another top-100 prospect, and Sina Hollerl is a combo guard from Austria.

Portal priorities: The Sooners are now Chavez’s team. Getting players who like to run and can spread the floor will make her even better. Vann, Williams and Stewart check off those boxes, but they are not the 3-point threat Chavez will need. Finding at least one high-level perimeter shooter will be a priority. Size in the SEC is a must, and Beers was Oklahoma’s muscle. Stewart has the potential to make a big leap as a sophomore, but the Sooners will need more, probably two players out of the portal who are above-average rebounders.
Record: 25-11 (8-8 in SEC)
How their season ended: Lost to Texas in Sweet 16
Expected departures:
Tonie Morgan (13.9 PPG)
Teonni Key (11.4 PPG)
Amelia Hassett (10.6 PPG)
Jordan Obi (9.2 PPG)
Josie Gilvin (1.2 PPG)
Players with remaining eligibility:
lara Strack (16.9 PPG)
Asia Boone (10.1 PPG)
Lexi Blue (2.1 PPG)
Kaelyn Carroll (3.5 PPG)
Gabby Brooks (0.8 PPG)
Dominika Paurová (missed season torn ACL)
Elsa Vadfors (redshirt)
Top incoming recruit: Maddyn Greenway (No. 13)
Kenny Brooks signed one of the best classes in the country with three top-25 prospects, headlined by Greenway. Her speed and ability to process information quickly should make her a good match for Brooks, whose play style puts responsibility on his point guards. Well known in Minnesota basketball circles since she was a middle schooler, the 5-foot-8 Greenway scored more than 5,000 points in high school and has drawn comparisons to Paige Bueckers. Greenway averaged 36 points per game as a senior and won her fifth state title earlier this month after playing on varsity for six years. She started with the team when she was in seventh grade. With 6-foot-0 Emily McDonald and 6-foot-1 Savvy Swords, the sister of Michigan’s Syla Swords, Brooks might have his backcourt of the future.
Portal priorities: Despite bringing in Greenway, Brooks might be seeking a point guard. In his first two years at Lexington, Brooks used the portal to bring in Georgia Amoore and Morgan, who both add experience at the position. It’s a strategy that has served him well. Brooks might not want to solely trust a freshman point guard at the most vital position in his offense for Strack’s final season. After losing Key, who also paired so well with Strack, Brooks will need to find another power forward who can rebound and run the floor. If the 6-foot-5 Vadfors is ready to contribute, that would be a significant boost. Boone is one of the best 3-point shooters in the SEC, but so was Hassett. Brooks will need another shooter, too.

Record: 29-8 (15-3 in ACC)
How their season ended: Lost to Michigan in the Sweet 16
Expected departures
Laura Ziegler (11.2 PPG)
Reyna Scott (8.2 PPG)
Players with remaining eligibility
Tajianna Roberts (11.6 PPG)
Imari Berry (11.0 PPG)
Elif Istanbulluoglu (9.8 PPG)
Mackenly Randolph (8.6 PPG)
Anaya Hardy (4.9 PPG)
Peyton Bradley (3.8 PPG)
Reagan Bender (3.4 PPG)
Grace Mbugua (3.2 PPG)
Yevheniia Putra (2.7 PPG)
Rebekah Graves (1.7 PPG)
Isla Juffermans (missed season with leg injury)
Top incoming recruit: Ariyana Cradle (No. 34)
Almost everything the Cardinals did this season was by committee. That includes point guard. Cradle gives Jeff Walz another option to share some of those duties. She could slide right into the rotation spot that Scott is vacating and play either guard position. Known first as an intense defender who averaged 4.0 steals per game to go along with 18.3 points per game at Spire Academy, Cradle appears to be an ideal fit for the Louisville system. Myah Epps is a 5-foot-10 true point guard from Indiana and another top-100 recruit (No. 68) for the Cardinals.

Portal priorities: With so much experience expected to return, Walz can be particular about what transfer(s) he adds. Ziegler was the key get last offseason, and another versatile big would be helpful to pair with Istanbulluoglu. Ziegler was also a key part of Louisville’s 3-point shooting, which was third in the ACC at 34.5%, but could also be streaky from game-to-game or even within a game. Finding a pick-and-pop shooter with size or a catch-and-shoot threat would add even more diversity to the offense.
Record: 29-5 (12-4 in SEC)
How their season ended: Lost to Duke in Sweet 16
Expected departures
Flau’jae Johnson (14.3 PPG)
Amiya Joyner (9.2 PPG)
Izzy Besselman (0.1 PPG)
Players with remaining eligibility
Mikaylah Williams (14.0 PPG)
MiLaysia Fulwiley (14.2 PPG)
ZaKiyah Johnson (10.0 PPG)
Jada Richard (9.6 PPG)
Grace Knox (8.9 PPG)
Kate Koval (8.6 PPG)
Bella Hines (4.3 PPG)
Meghan Yarnevich (2.1 PPG)
Divine Bourrage (2.1 PPG)
Top incoming recruit: Lola Lampley (No. 29)
As strange as it looks to see a Kim Mulkey recruiting class with just one name on it, that’s the reality this year. But it also makes sense. The Tigers remain loaded with talent. Flau’jae Johnson is the only significant loss and Lampley plays the same position. If the roster stays intact, the preseason will have some interesting position battles, including Lampley. Her size at 6-foot-2 will help as she tries to take minutes from ZaKiyah Johnson and Hines. Lampley’s willingness to rebound should help her get on the floor.

Portal priorities: Expect some attrition. That is the landscape now for elite programs with more talent than minutes available. The list of priorities won’t become clear until those decisions are made. If spots open, expect Mulkey to move quickly in the portal to fill them. Last year when Sa’Myah Smith and Aalyah Del Rosario left, the Tigers’ staff landed Koval and Joyner. When Hailey Van Lith left after the 2024 season, Shayeann Day-Wilson was added from Miami. If there is an area to address, LSU could use another perimeter defender or a power forward with a little shooting range.
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.
Mikayla Blakes keeps Vanderbilt close with an and-1 layup late vs. Notre Dame.

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