Gophers Lose Veteran Forward to Transfer Portal After NCAA Tournament Run

Veteran forward Niamya Holloway became the first player from Gophers women's basketball to enter the transfer portal this offseason on Tuesday morning.

"Gopher nation... ever since I was a little girl I dreamed of being a part of hte Minnesota Golden Gophers. I have waorked my whole life towards this, and though it didn't come easy, I still got here. While this isn't the tourney I had in mind, I know my story is still unfinished," she wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday.

"I am so grateful for my teammates who I've bonded with over the years, the fans who have encouraged me to keep my head up the whole way, and my family friends who nenver doubted. me. With that beign said, I am ending my career at the University of Minnesota in a unimaginable way, and entering the transfer portal to continue my story."

PORTAL: Gophers forward Niamaya Holloway has announced her plans to enter the transfer portal.

Eden Prairie, MN native appeared in 27 games this season, averaging 1.6 points and 1.8 rebounds.

📸 // the.nia_holloway (IG) pic.twitter.com/2frecapUG0
— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) March 31, 2026

Holloway was a member of the Gophers' 2021 recruiting class, which included Amaya Battle, Mara Braun and Mallory Heyer as one of the best groups of incoming freshmen in program history. She had a standout prep career at Eden Prairie High School before joining the Gophers.

Holloway missed her entire freshman season due to a season-ending injury, but she stuck with the program through a coaching change from Lindsay Whalen to Dawn Plitzuweit, and returned in 2023-24.

Listed at 6-foot, she appeared in 97 games during her three-year career at Minnesota. She averaged 2.4 points and 2.2 rebounds in 8.4 minutes per game. She will now play elsehwere for her redshirt senior season with one year of eligibility remaining. She was a veteran leader for the Gophers in the locker room, and they will now look for her replacement.

If every other player with eligibility remaining on Minnesota's roster opts to return, they will have three available roster spots. This year's transfer portal officially opens the day after the national championship on Monday, April 6. With Sophie Hart and Finau Tonga out of eligibility and Holloway transferring, the Gophers' biggest need is clearly some depth in the frontcourt.

They have a huge opportunity to build on some momentum with this year's run to the Sweet 16, and that will start in the offseason.