Charlie CremeMar 29, 2026, 05:17 PM ETCloseCharlie Creme projects the women’s NCAA tournament bracket for ESPN.com.Multiple Authors
play0:24Mikayla Blakes keeps Vandy close with and-1 layupMikayla Blakes keeps Vanderbilt close with an and-1 layup late vs. Notre Dame.
MiLaysia Fulwiley speeds in for LSU basket (0:24)MiLaysia Fulwiley creates space with a crossover dribble and takes it to the rim. (0:24)
Mikayla Blakes keeps Vandy close with and-1 layupMikayla Blakes keeps Vanderbilt close with an and-1 layup late vs. Notre Dame.
All four No. 1 seeds advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2026 women’s NCAA tournament. Thirteen of the top 16 seeds reached the regional semifinals. But with the Elite Eight underway, the offseason officially starts for some of them.
Here’s your guide to their expected departures, returnees, top incoming recruits and where that leaves their personnel priorities for when the transfer portal opens April 6.
Jump to: Duke | Notre Dame | Virginia | Oklahoma | Kentucky | LSU Louisville | Minnesota | North Carolina | Vanderbilt
Toby Fournier (17.4 PPG) Delaney Thomas (11.1 PPG) Riley Nelson (9.4 PPG) Arianna Roberson (8.3 PPG) Jordan Wood (4.9 PPG) Emilee Skinner (4.3 PPG) Jadyn Donovan (1.6 PPG) Anna Wikstrom (1.3 PPG) Emma Koabel (redshirt)
Iyana Moore (12.2 PPG) Vanessa de Jesus (8.6 PPG) Malaya Cowles (8.0 PPG) Gisela Sanchez (6.0 PPG) Bella Tehrani (0.4 PPG) Jordyn Smith (0.3 PPG)
Hannah Hidalgo (25.2 PPG) Cassandre Prosper (13.9 PPG) KK Bransford (7.5 PPG) Kelly Ratigan (1.4 PPG) Luci Jensen (0.3 PPG) Leah Macy (redshirt)
Kymora Johnson (19.5 PPG) Tabitha Amanze (9.4 PPG) Sa’Myah Smith (8.0 PPG) Gabby White (6.2 PPG) Adeang Ring (3.7 PPG) Breona Hurd (3.6 PPG) Olivia McGhee (2.5 PPG) Raiane Dias Dos Santos (2.3 PPG)
Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton has yet to sign anyone, and that will make her work in the transfer portal imperative. Getting a healthy season from 6-foot-2 junior-to-be Hurd, whose development suffered a setback because of a midseason injury that cost her 11 games, and more production from 5-10 guard White, who was a top-100 recruit last year, would help.
Aaliyah Chavez (18.3 PPG) Sahara Williams (12.5 PPG) Zya Vann (10.5 PPG) Brooklyn Stewart (6.8 PPG) Caya Smith (4.4 PPG) Keziah Lofton (4.0 PPG) Emma Tolan (1.5 PPG) Daffa Cissoko (0.4 PPG)
lara Strack (16.9 PPG) Asia Boone (10.1 PPG) Lexi Blue (2.1 PPG) Kaelyn Carroll (3.5 PPG) Gabby Brooks (0.8 PPG) Dominika Paurová (missed season torn ACL) Elsa Vadfors (redshirt)
Tajianna Roberts (11.6 PPG) Imari Berry (11.0 PPG) Elif Istanbulluoglu (9.8 PPG) Mackenly Randolph (8.6 PPG) Anaya Hardy (4.9 PPG) Peyton Bradley (3.8 PPG) Reagan Bender (3.4 PPG) Grace Mbugua (3.2 PPG) Yevheniia Putra (2.7 PPG) Rebekah Graves (1.7 PPG) Isla Juffermans (missed season with leg injury)
Mikaylah Williams (14.0 PPG) MiLaysia Fulwiley (14.2 PPG) ZaKiyah Johnson (10.0 PPG) Jada Richard (9.6 PPG) Grace Knox (8.9 PPG) Kate Koval (8.6 PPG) Bella Hines (4.3 PPG) Meghan Yarnevich (2.1 PPG) Divine Bourrage (2.1 PPG)
Tori McKinney (12.9 PPG) Grace Grocholski (12.1 PPG) Mara Braun (11.8 PPG) Makena Christian (3.7 PPG) Niamya Holloway (1.7 PPG) Kennedy Klick (1.6 PPG) Brynn Senden (0.6 PPG)
Lanie Grant (11.1 PPG) Elina Aarnisalo (10.4 PPG) Ciera Toomey (8.9 PPG) Nyla Brooks (8.7 PPG) Reniya Kelly (6.1 PPG) Laila Hull (4.2 PPG) Taliyah Henderson (3.8 PPG) Taissa Queiroz (2.9 PPG) Jordan Zubich (2.1 PPG) Liza Astakhova (2.1 PPG) Blanca Thomas (1.7 PPG) Sydney Barker (0.4 PPG)
Justine Pissott (11.4 PPG) Sacha Washington (10.4 PPG) Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda (7.0 PPG) Jada Brown (3.2 PPG)
Mikayla Blakes (27.0 PPG) Aubrey Galvan (13.2 PPG) Aiyana Mitchell (5.9 PPG) Aga Makurat (3.2 PPG) Ava Black (2.9 PPG) Trinity Wilson (1.0 PPG) Monique Williams (0.9 PPG) Madison Greene (redshirt)
Mikayla Blakes keeps Vanderbilt close with an and-1 layup late vs. Notre Dame.
Kara Lawson landed three players in the top 25 of the SC Next 100, and Fleary is the highest rated of the group and the top point guard in the entire class. Her on-ball defensive skills make the 5-foot-7 Fleary, who comes from the same high school in Washington, D.C., (Sidwell Friends) as current Blue Devil Donovan, a natural fit for Lawson’s approach. Bella Flemings, a combo guard form San Antonio, and Sanai Green, a recruiting win from Long Island, join Fleary to form what could be the future Duke backcourt.
Portal priorities: Skinner was with the Blue Devils all season but in many ways, she will seem like a portal addition. A lower leg injury kept her out of all but three games, so it’s easy to forget Skinner was the No. 4-rated recruit a year ago. She is the ready-made replacement for Mair at the point or has the size to move off the ball if Fleary is ready to lead the Blue Devils as a freshman. Nelson and Wood are capable from distance, but Duke can certainly use more shooters to surround Fournier and Thomas, especially with the loss of Jackson. Another fierce perimeter defender would fit nicely, especially if Lawson can combine that shooter and defender in the same player.
Abii is the crown jewel of what is arguably the best recruiting class in Niele Ivey’s tenure as head coach at Notre Dame. Abii’s versatility, particularly her talent as a passer, and length at 6-foot-2 on the wing should give Ivey some options once the incoming freshman settles into the college game. Three of the four other members of the class — Amari Byles, Isabella Ragone and Isabella Sangha — are 6-2 or taller. Notre Dame will also add 6-2 Leah Macy to the mix. Macy was a 2025 McDonald’s All American and the No. 19-rated recruit, but she sat out this season recovering from a knee injury suffered during her senior year in high school.
Portal priorities: It’s back to the portal drawing board for Ivey. Last offseason she filled out her roster with a collection of transfers with one year of eligibility left to provide Hidalgo with experience. All of them are gone now, but the strategy shouldn’t change. To maximize Hidalgo’s talents, she needs shooters and versatile wings around her. Abii might be able to fill the former void, but the Irish will need some experience, too. A rim protector and another ball handler would also be advisable. How deeply Ivey has to dig into the portal will be determined by Prosper’s decision to come back or not. The ACC’s most improved player has another year of eligibility if she wants to use it. The recruiting class is an encouraging sign of Notre Dame building from within again, but Hidalgo needs veteran teammates to get the most out of her final year in South Bend.
Portal priorities: Last spring, Agugua-Hamilton built a team around Johnson with transfers, and the Cavaliers were one of the ACC’s biggest surprises. With Johnson likely back, Agugua-Hamilton needs a repeat portal performance. With Amanze and Smith still in the mix, she won’t need the same number of players she brought in last offseason (7), but who returns to Virginia will determine if it can duplicate this year’s run. Clark and Levy became important secondary and tertiary scorers in the postseason, and getting another backcourt scorer should be the priority, preferably one who has 3-point range.
Despite not being directly recruited to Oklahoma, Beers and Verhulst became synonymous with the program. They will not be easy to replace, making next season a potential transition campaign for the Sooners. Expectations could be adjusted depending on how well Jennie Baranczyk’s three-player recruiting class adjusts to life in the SEC. Bell is the top-rated and most crucial of those incoming freshmen. She is a 6-foot-3 power forward who was the North Dakota state Player of the Year and averaged 27.4 points per game at Minot High School. Bell is not a direct replacement for Beers but could be the inside scorer and rebounder the Sooners will need. Vienna Murray is a 6-foot-1 wing from Minnesota and another top-100 prospect, and Sina Hollerl is a combo guard from Austria.
Portal priorities: The Sooners are now Chavez’s team. Getting players who like to run and can spread the floor will make her even better. Vann, Williams and Stewart check off those boxes, but they are not the 3-point threat Chavez will need. Finding at least one high-level perimeter shooter will be a priority. Size in the SEC is a must, and Beers was Oklahoma’s muscle. Stewart has the potential to make a big leap as a sophomore, but the Sooners will need more, probably two players out of the portal who are above-average rebounders.
Kenny Brooks signed one of the best classes in the country with three top-25 prospects, headlined by Greenway. Her speed and ability to process information quickly should make her a good match for Brooks, whose play style puts responsibility on his point guards. Well known in Minnesota basketball circles since she was a middle schooler, the 5-foot-8 Greenway scored more than 5,000 points in high school and has drawn comparisons to Paige Bueckers. Greenway averaged 36 points per game as a senior and won her fifth state title earlier this month after playing on varsity for six years. She started with the team when she was in seventh grade. With 6-foot-0 Emily McDonald and 6-foot-1 Savvy Swords, the sister of Michigan’s Syla Swords, Brooks might have his backcourt of the future.
Portal priorities: Despite bringing in Greenway, Brooks might be seeking a point guard. In his first two years at Lexington, Brooks used the portal to bring in Georgia Amoore and Morgan, who both add experience at the position. It’s a strategy that has served him well. Brooks might not want to solely trust a freshman point guard at the most vital position in his offense for Strack’s final season. After losing Key, who also paired so well with Strack, Brooks will need to find another power forward who can rebound and run the floor. If the 6-foot-5 Vadfors is ready to contribute, that would be a significant boost. Boone is one of the best 3-point shooters in the SEC, but so was Hassett. Brooks will need another shooter, too.