The transfer portal has become an integral part of the college basketball ecosystem, but keeping up with the dizzying amount of players changing schools can be hard.
More than 1,300 women's basketball players entered the portal this spring. The motivations may vary — some hope for more playing time, or NIL opportunities, or a new system, or simply a fresh start — but the bottom line is that it's never been easier to seek out a better school fit.
Dozens of stars from New England opted for a change of scenery this offseason. Some made the leap up from a mid-major program to a Power Five school, while others moved in different directions. Two players mentioned had to leave their Ivy League schools since the conference does not accept grad student-athletes.
Here are five players to watch (plus some honorable mentions) to watch at their new homes.
Ali Brigham
Penn State → Bryant
6-4 center, Franklin/Franklin, Mass.
Brigham transferred to Penn State after making the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team in her freshman year at George Washington. She then started 17 games as a sophomore on the Nittany Lions, but saw her minutes fall as a junior before a major bounce-back senior season. Brigham started all 35 games and averaged 8.7 points and 4.9 rebounds for a squad that flirted with national top 25 status. She sports a 56 percent career shooting clip in college and can make an immediate impact at Bryant as an efficient interior scorer.
Brenna McDonald
Yale → Washington
6-3 center, Natick/Natick, Mass.
The Ivy League's leading per-game shot blocker last season finished with 40 rejections in 27 contests as a Yale senior. McDonald started every game, averaging 10.8 points and 6.9 rebounds while shooting 53.9 percent from the field. Washington joins the Big Ten this season after the Pac 12 dissolved. McDonald is the only grad student on the roster, and experience could help her carve out a role.
Jordan Obi
Penn → Kentucky
6-1 guard, Choate/Hartford, Conn.
Obi's Kentucky career is currently on hold after she suffered a "lower leg injury" during the summer. The fifth-year guard is reportedly out indefinitely, and though she has started rehab already, there's no timetable for a return.
Still, Obi is worth keeping an eye on as one of the most talented New Englanders in the portal. She earned first team All-Ivy League recognition last year after a banner season at Penn, where she averaged 14.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 blocks while canning 38.6 percent of her 3-pointers. Whenever Obi gets healthy, she'll be an impact player in the Wildcats' new era under coach Kenny Brooks.
Alexsia Rose
UMass → Minnesota
5-7 guard, Bloomington/Bloomington, Conn.
Rose had some bright flashes in her lone season at UMass that showed she could play in the Big Ten. She averaged 11.4 points and 3.4 assists, and though her scoring came in waves, her highlights included back-to-back games of 22 and 23 points against Saint Joseph's and and Duquesne, respectively. Rose previously played three years at East Carolina.
Ariana Vanderhoop
Monmouth → St. John’s
5-9 guard, Cathedral/Boston, Mass.
Vanderhoop joins St. John's for her fifth year after starting in 98 of 101 career games played at Monmouth. The tough-nosed point guard averaged 10.6 points and 4.4 rebounds as a senior, landing on the All-Coastal Athletic Association Third Team. In 2023, she helped lead Monmouth to its second March Madness appearance in program history. Vanderhoop has a winning track record; she also captured two MIAA state titles while at Cathedral.
Five more names to monitor
Jayda Johnson
Boston College → Dayton
6-0 sophomore guard, Hamden Hall/West Haven, Conn.
Samantha Dewey
Illinois → Richmond
6-2 sophomore forward, Brooks/Melrose, Mass.
Adara Groman
UNH → South Dakota
5-8 grad student guard, Worcester Academy/Scituate, Mass.
Kendall Eddy
Providence → Holy Cross
5-7 sophomore guard, Brooks/Haverhill, Mass.
Megan Olbrys
Villanova → UMass
6-1 sophomore forward, Norwood/Norwood, Mass.
