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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