Women's Final Four teams reflect on the transfer portal's impact

PHOENIX (AP) — The impact of the transfer portal can be felt all around the basketball landscape, and that includes this weekend's women's Final Four.

The transfer portal in part contributed to the four teams that reached the Final Four in 2025 returning again this year. That has only happened once before when Georgia, Stanford, Tennessee and UConn did it in 1995-96.

Things have changed in the last 30 years, especially recently.

There was a time schools would mainly get talented players from mid-major programs. Now more than ever Power Four schools are taking from each other. Nearly all the players who transferred to the Final Four teams came from power conferences.

“The portal and the revenue share, I think that was the death of the mid-majors, the death of high school players coming to play college basketball," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "It’s never been harder for a high school kid to have the same opportunities that an existing college player already has.

“When your choice is go get a high school senior or go get a college sophomore for your team, a lot of coaches are deciding that getting a college sophomore is way better.”

Lauren Betts arrived at UCLA from Stanford three years ago and is now one of the best players in the country. Ta’Niya Latson went to South Carolina this year after spending the first three years at Florida State, where she led the country in scoring. Kayleigh Heckel (USC) and Serah Williams (Wisconsin) joined UConn this year. Texas added Ashton Judd (Missouri) this season.

Of those schools, only USC reached the NCAA Tournament, but the Trojans didn’t get out of the second round. Though USC didn’t have JuJu Watkins, it seems like the rich schools are reloading with talent.

If the conversation doesn't start with name, image and likeness money, it will be high on the list. It's true that players enter the transfer portal for different reasons including playing time, mental health, issues or broken relationships with coaches. But lately, being able to earn more money through revenue sharing or NIL deals are driving that bus.

“That’s a big problem. The amount of money that people are offering kids, so the revenue sharing is 20.5 (million) and going up this year," Auriemma said. "The schools it’s 22, 23, 24 just for the basketball teams. It’s probably another 40 for the football teams. So yeah, salary caps, all that stuff would help.”

The transfer portal opens up Monday, the day after the women's champion is crowned. UCLA's Cori Close will be one Final Four coaches hitting the road trying to close new deals.

UCLA has been active in the transfer portal the last few years. Four of UCLA’s top six players transferred in, including Gianna Kneepkens (Utah) and Charlisse Leger-Walker (Washington State).

“I think really it depends on whether or not — it just happened to be the right fit, whether or not they’re Power Four or really good mid-major players,” Close said. “Across the country in this tournament, you have seen you can be a great contributor from either direction of that. We have been a really good transfer destination. We have been very intentional about how we’ve integrated that into our recruiting.”

Auriemma has added a few transfers the last couple of seasons, but they have been mostly complementary players. He never sees a time when he'll look for a go-to player in the portal to build a team.

“You can buy a team," said Auriemma, who has won a record 12 NCAA national titles, "but you can’t buy a championship,”

Though that hasn't stopped coaches from trying.

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