The NCAA waiver allowing first-time transfers immediate eligibility created one of the biggest shifts in college sports in the last decade. Players now have significantly more freedom to move between schools, making it sometimes seem like an exodus of players from one program to the next.

After the 2019-20 season, just more than 600 women’s basketball players ended up in the portal. Last year, that number nearly doubled to 1,197 players in the transfer portal. Just days into the NCAA Tournament, more than 450 women’s basketball players are already in the portal. Coaches sometimes bemoan portal-induced roster turnover of both starters and reserves, but they also know the portal is a key means to building their own programs for the upcoming season and beyond.

Here’s a look at the top prospects who are available in the transfer portal:

Hottinger has her COVID-19 season to use, and the reigning Patriot League player of the year has opted to go elsewhere. She averaged 20.3 points and 9.5 rebounds this season and has 62 career starts under her belt, so she’d bring productivity and experience with her. She should be able to make the jump to the power conference level. With Dawn Plitzuweit named the Gophers’ new coach Saturday, could we see this Minnesota native return home?

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Over the last month, The Athletic has spoken with more than 30 women’s college basketball coaches about an array of topics from name, image and likeness to athletic directors to sleeping giants in the sport. These coaches, who hail from power conferences and high mid-majors, were granted anonymity to allow them to speak openly without fear of retribution from their own programs or the NCAA. Throughout the week, we’re sharing coaches’ thoughts on the most pressing issues in their sport. Though not every response to each question is included, answers represent all opinions expressed.

Coaches always have an eye on their peers. There’s a bond among individuals in this line of work, and it helps to have camaraderie among people who have chosen a similar path. But oftentimes, coaches are scouting for best practices; they’re looking to lift plays and sets from other teams that might work for their own. In the Big Ten regular-season finale, Iowa coach Lisa Bluder noted to reporters she took a play out of Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon’s book to run on the Hawkeyes’ last possession, which ended in a Caitlin Clark game winner. The best coaches openly acknowledge they’re thieves of whatever works best on the court, whether that comes from high school, college or…