Gophers Listed as Potential Portal Landing Spot for Audi Crooks, Does it Make Sense?

Iowa State superstar post player Audi Crooks averaged the second-most points in women's college basketball in 2025-26, and she announced that she's heading to the transfer portal on Thursday. Do the Gophers have a chance of luring one of the best players in the sport to the Twin Cities?

Minnesota is coming off its first run to the Sweet 16 in more than 20 years. Post players Sophie Hart and Finau Tonga are set to graduate, while veteran Niamya Holloway has already revealed plans to enter the transfer portal. There's a big hole in Minnesota's frontcourt with returning freshman Tracey Bershers and incoming freshman Adit Kuol as the only two options.

The Gophers are expected to return a core of Mara Braun, Tori McKinney and Grace Grocholski, along with welcoming one of the best recruiting classes in program history, headlined by local star Tori Oehrlein, Wisconsin Ms. Basketball Natalie Kussow and Nebraska Ms. Basketball Kylee Paben.

The potential to build off their momentum from the 2025-26 season makes the Gophers an intriguing landing spot for Crooks in the transfer portal. CBS Sports writer Jack Maloney agrees, as he listed Minnesota as one of three potential suitors alongside Iowa and UCLA.

Article on CBS Sports lists Minnesota as one of three potential suitors for star Iowa State transfer Audi Crooks. They also offered her a scholarship as a high school recruit.

Likely going to be a significant price tag, but the fit would make a lot of sense. https://t.co/8OSfC8eSRq pic.twitter.com/R4G69z9QaM
— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) April 2, 2026

The Gophers did offer Crooks a scholarship as a high school recruit, but she began college the same year Dawn Plitzuweit began at Minnesota. The biggest question in the modern era of college sports immediately becomes the price tag for a player like Crooks. She averaged 25.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game last season on 64.9% shooting from the field. She's one of the most recognizable players in the sport, so she's going to garner a lot of money on the open transfer portal market.

Notre Dame star Olivia Miles was rumored to receive a deal worth nearly $1 million from TCU last offseason in the transfer portal. Crooks has the resume to get a similar package. Barring any stunning development, she'll be the best player in the transfer portal this offseason, which gives her quite the bargaining power.

The Gophers have already gotten off to a good start with player retention, announcing a return for Braun on Wednesday, and some more players, such as Kennedy Klick and Brynn Senden, on Thursday. They will have the expectations to get back to the NCAA Tournament next season, but is Crooks the type of player who could make them a championship contender?

Well, her defense has been criticized throughout her career, but she is one of the most dominant offensive threats in the sport. Minnesota is not the type of program or athletic department to throw around seven-figure NIL deals like hotcakes, so I would be pleasantly surprised if Crooks ends up in the Twin Cities. But there are crazier things that have happened.