NCAAW: Azzi Fudd is staying at UConn, but what players are on the move?

As we await to crown the 2025 national champion, changes already are sweeping across the women’s college basketball landscape.

While many players will take their talents to the WNBA, others have chosen to exercise their remaining eligibility. For an increasing number of players, that includes their eligibility to transfer, with the portal quickly piling up with names seeking new destinations. The biggest recruit from the class of 2025 also has finally settled on her collegiate home.

Keep up with some of the most consequential decisions that will shape the 2025-26 NCAAW season:

Howell chooses to fight elsewhere

Avery Howell, who stepped up for USC as a starter following JuJu Watkins’ season-ending injury, has entered the transfer portal, a surprising decision considering she likely would have assumed a larger role for the Trojans next season due to the Watkins’ extended absence.

A 6-foot-0 guard, Howell shot nearly 40 percent from 3, as she averaged 7.5 points and three rebounds in more than 20 minutes per game.

Miles makes surprising decision

Widely projected to be the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, including by our Eric Nemchock, Olivia Miles will instead exercise her final year of college eligibility and enter the transfer portal.

After Notre Dame’s Sweet 16 loss, Miles was noncommittal about her basketball future, indicating her perspective “just changes every day” and that she was “deciding between a bunch of factors.” Miles cited college as “comfortable, a place where your have security,” in contrast to the WNBA where “the volatility is up and down.”

Miles, who missed all of last season due to a knee injured suffered at the end of the 2022-23 regular season, impressed in her return to the court, continuing to thrive as a creative playmaker while improving as a 3-point shooter.

Her skillset makes her the top player in the transfer portal, positioning her to target the program she prefers to join.

More Irish exits

Olivia Miles is not the only player leaving South Bend via the transfer portal.

Kate Koval, a 6-foot-5 forward who was the No. 5-ranked recruit in the class of 2024, has also put her name in the portal, as has Emma Risch, a 6-foot-1 guard who just completed her sophomore season. Kylee Watson, a 6-foot-4 forward who missed the 2024-25 season due to injury, later added her name to portal.

Combined with the graduations of Sonia Citron, Maddy Westbeld, Liatu King and Liza Karlen, Notre Dame, at least at the moment, appears to be dealing with a severe roster deficit ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Flau’jae mulls future

LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson, who has one year of college eligibility remaining but, because she will turn 22 before the end of the calendar year, is eligible for the 2025 WNBA Draft, may NOT be heading back to campus.

After LSU was eliminated in the Escol Eight of the NCAA Tournament, Johnson shared that she is still deciding whether to return to LSU or enter the draft. A pro-draft decision by Johnson could inspire nightmares for WNBA general managers who chose to trade lottery picks.

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey offered nothing but support and appreciation for Johnson, saying, “When I took the LSU job, Flau’jae was the first McDonald’s All-American that I signed. I had not coached and won anything at LSU, and she came to LSU. So she jump-started our program….I’m forever indebted to Flau’Jae Johnson.”

Jada goes with Iowa State

Jada Williams, who was considering offers from multiple schools after her exit from Arizona, has settled on Iowa State. Williams, a 5-foot-8 guard who will be entering her junior season, could for a dynamic partnership with star Cyclone center Audi Crooks, who previously made it clear that she would not be leaving Ames.

More losses for LSU?

Aneesah Morrow is off to the WNBA. Flau’jae Johnson might be as well. And now, Sa’Myah Smith has entered the transfer portal, meaning head coach Kim Mulkey might have to deal with the loss of three starters from this season’s Escol Eight team.

Smith, a 6-foot-2 forward, is fresh off an impressive NCAA Tournament run.

Last-Tear Poa also is looking for an opportunity elsewhere, with the 5-foot-11 guard putting her name in the portal after three seasons with the Tigers.

Coach Yo reloads

The portal taketh and the portal giveth.

Thus far, Ole Miss and head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin have been on the receiving end of the portal’s blessings, securing commitments from 6-foot-4 rising super senior forward Latasha Lattimore out of Virginia, 5-foot-9 rising super senior guard Kaitlin Peterson from UCF and 6-foot-1 rising senior forward Jayla Murray from Wichita State.

Silva selects TCU

Clara Silva is going from the Bluegrass State to the Lone Star State, with the 6-foot-7 center committing to TCU, where she should slide as the Horned Frogs’ primary frontcourt option on both ends of the floor.

Scott signs with Baylor

As addressed below, Taliah Scott had entered the transfer portal following Auburn’s dismissal of head coach Johnnie Harris. The rising junior guard has decided to head to Texas, joining Baylor and head coach Nicki Collen.

With the Bears sure to loose the services of Sarah Andrews, Scott can slide in as a near-ideal lead scoring guard in Waco.

Azzi is sticking around in Storrs

One of the most anticipated decisions belonged to UConn’s Azzi Fudd, who was eligible to enter the 2025 WNBA Draft or stay in Storrs for a final college season. To the satisfaction of the Husky faithful, she chose to stick around.

While projected as the No. 9 pick by our Eric Nemchock in his latest WNBA mock draft, and likely rising after her performance through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, Fudd desires to further develop her game, and believes Connecticut is the best place to do so, telling ESPN that another year at UConn will allow her to “work on everything I need to work on.”

Fudd also shared details from her conversation with head coach Geno Auriemma about her decision process with ESPN, revealing:

He said, “I would say 10 games, maybe, you’ve played to your full potential of who Azzi Fudd really is and so you wouldn’t do yourself justice leaving,. You would leave here not doing what you could in a UConn uniform.” I was like, “Yeah, he has a point.”

On Fudd’s return, Auriemma said to ESPN:

Having someone of Azzi’s ability and the way she can just control a game, she just hasn’t had an opportunity, at this point, to fully show who she is, what she can do, what impact she can have on our program and on college basketball. So hopefully being here another year, having an injury-free year, knock on wood, can remind everybody this is the Azzi Fudd that was coming out of high school, and can we get a full year out of that? I’m as excited as anybody, our fans, anybody to see what can happen.

Williams headlines Arizona exodus

Five Arizona players have put their names in the transfer portal, including leading scorer Jada Williams, who just completed her sophomore season. An heralded recruit, Williams has yet to have the impact imagined at the college level, although her talents should lead to plenty of inquiries from high-profile programs.

Williams revealed on Instagram that she already has visited Iowa. Other visits are expected.

Super scorer leaving Seminoles?

The nation’s leading scorer is the leading name in the transfer portal. Ta’Niya Latson, who averaged a Division I-best 25.2 points per game as a junior at Florida State, is expected to take her talents elsewhere.

According to sources, Latson’s decision was not a surprise to the Seminoles, with the super scoring guard in line to command rich NIL offers from other programs. Although, Latson’s close relationship with FSU head coach Brooke Wycoff could lead to her returning to Tallahassee.

McMahon’s making a move

One of most eye-popping entries into the portal is Cotie McMahon, who has one year of eligibility remaining after three seasons at Ohio State, where she was a two-time All-Big Ten First Team selection.

A physical forward who has improved an outside shooter, McMahon is likely to attract inquiries from a number of top programs.

ACC’s best bench player puts name in portal

ACC Sixth Player of the Year Dani Carnegie announced on Instagram that she is entering the portal. As a freshman, the guard averaged 12.9 points and 4.5 rebounds for Georgia Tech.

Serah Williams to Storrs?

Head coach Marisa Moseley is out at Wisconsin, and it looks like Serah Williams also will depart Madison. In three seasons at Wisconsin, the 6-foot-4 forward secured a pair of All-Big Ten First Team honors. Williams is coming off a junior season in which she averaged a near double-double with 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.

According to Carl Adamec of CT Insider, UConn has expressed interest in Williams. It is worth noting that Moseley, who resigned from her post at Wisconsin, served as an assistant at UConn from 2009 to 2018.

Where might Scott rediscover her scoring groove?

Another coaching change has (possibly) sparked another player move. Auburn moved on from head coach Johnnie Harris, and guard Taliah Scott could move on from the Tigers. After spending her freshman season at Arkansas, where she averaged almost 22 points per game, Scott’s tenure at Auburn never took off due to injury, as she appeared in just three games.

The scoring talent she flashed as a freshman understandably has enticed top programs, as Scott entered the portal with a “do not contact” tag, indicating she has her preferred options outlined. She reportedly has scheduled visits to Miami and LSU, although a return to Auburn, now under the leadership of former Norfolk State head coach Larry Vickers, remains under consideration.

Wheeler headlines NSU entries

While Scott may not choose to return to Auburn, could Kierra Wheeler head to the Plains, following Vickers from Norfolk State? The 6-foot-1 forward who has one year of eligibility remaining was a three-time All-MEAC selection, including the 2023-24 MEAC Player of the Year, under Vickers, helping to lead the Spartans to three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

Two other Spartans, Da’Brya Clark and Anjanae Richardson, also have entered the portal. Clark earned a spot on the All-MEAC Third Team this season, while Richardson was the MEAC Sixth Player of the Year.

Silva seeks new opportunity

6-foot-7 Clara Silva, who just completed her freshman season at Kentucky, has put her name in the portal with a “do not contact” designation, which suggests, but does not confirm, that she has new destination already circled.

Behind rising junior Clara Strack in the Wildcats’ frontcourt rotation, it is understandable that Silva might be looking for a program where she would be guaranteed to start, or at least see more minutes. She averaged 12.5 minutes per game, scoring four points, grabbing 2.6 rebounds and swatting 1.1 shots.

Chavez makes decision later or Sooner

Aaliyah Chavez, the No. 1-ranked recruit in the class of 2025, had delayed making her college decision, choosing between Texas Tech, Texas, LSU, Oklahoma, South Carolina and UCLA.

The 5-foot-11 point guard from Lubbock, TX finally announced that she is headed to Norman, joining an Oklahoma Sooner squad that has advanced to the Sweet 16.