The COVID-19 pandemic changed collegiate sports in a multitude of ways, but perhaps the most significant difference is the effect that the transfer portal has had after athletes were given back a year of eligibility from the cancellation of the 2020-21 season. 

The transfer portal has allowed for fluid movement of players across the nation to change their roles, conferences and potential draft stock for those looking to play professionally. After a historic season for women's basketball, all eyes are on some of the best players in the country who have entered their names in the portal following the conclusion of March Madness. 

Big Names, Big Moves

Among these stars that entered the portal are Hailey Van Lith who played three seasons at Louisville and led the Cardinals to three Elite Eights, Aneeshah Morrow who played two years at Depaul and led the Big East in rebounding both seasons, and Lauren Betts, a 6 foot 7 threat that played her first season at Stanford after being named the No. 1 high school recruit in the class of 2022. Betts just announced she will attend UCLA heading into her sophomore season, while Van Lith has announced her commitment to LSU, where she will cap off her impressive college career with the defending national champions. Morrow, who has narrowed down her search to LSU, South Carolina and Southern California, is still on the market as well.

These are just three of hundreds of players who entered the portal that will have the ability to change the program that they choose to go to the moment they arrive. The prior collegiate experience combined with their skillset is invaluable to any team. We saw firsthand this year the impact that the transfer portal has already had, as LSU took home its first national championship with nine new players, including Maryland transfer Angel Reese who was the Final Four Most Outstanding Player. Adding a guard like Van Lith and potentially a rebounder and scorer of Morrow's capacity would set LSU apart heading into next season. 

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Transfer Trouble?

Is it possible that the transfer portal could make for too many star-studded lineups? Is there such a thing as too many cooks in the kitchen? The movement in the portal allows for elite players from different conferences to shift around and explore how high they can elevate their level of play and competition. It allows esteemed coaches like Kim Mulkey to recruit high quality talent and stack her already gifted lineup providing even more depth than what was displayed in the Tigers' national championship run. Not only that, but headlines around high-profile women's basketball transfers bring attention and eyes to the game, which is almost always a good thing.

With that being said, the argument has been made that the transfer portal will make things unfair in college sports, as it gives older players the opportunity to shift programs and dominate younger, less experienced squads or those navigating big transitions like coaching changes. However, LSU's unlikely championship run challenges that narrative, as Mulkey only had one year to corral nine new players into a cohesive unit. Talent aside, what LSU was able to do in such a short period of time is unheard of and quite frankly remarkable. To say the transfer portal makes for unfair play would be disregarding how hard it is for both the players and the coaches to mesh together. Any program that is capable of doing what LSU did this year is deserving of a title.

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The Road Ahead

We have entered into a new realm of college basketball where superstars transition to a better conference after developing for a few years prior. Take Lou Lopez-Sénéchal for example–Many know her as a UConn Husky, but Sénéchal also played four years at Fairfield University, where her noteworthy career caught the attention of Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma. Thanks to COVID-19 and the transfer portal, Sénéchal's extra year of eligibility landed her at the University of Connecticut, playing for one of the most prestigious programs in women's basketball history. After a stellar season with the Huskies, Sénéchal was drafted by the Dallas Wings as the 5th overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, which might not have been possible playing for a smaller university with less media coverage. 

The next few weeks will be nothing short of interesting as announcements will come from those still undecided. The women's March Madness championship game took the nation by storm this past year, bringing in a record-shattering amount of viewers and peaking at 12.6 million during the championship game. Stars emerged and have been closely watched since then, in anticipation of more excitement going into next season. Many destinations for those in the transfer portal remain unknown, but the programs that do receive these gifted and experienced players in the coming weeks will arguably all be championship contenders next March.

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Image Credit: WDRB/ The Gazette

* Originally published on May 5, 2023, by Brady Lynch