Gophers' McKenna Johnson, a former top-100 recruit, enters transfer portal

Johnson played in 24 games for Minnesota as a freshman last season.

UCLA guard Kiki Rice steals the ball away from Minnesota guard McKenna Johnson (7) during the fourth quarter at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom in Los Angeles on Feb. 2, 2025. | Robert Hanashiro / Imagn Images

Minnesota Gophers women's basketball guard McKenna Johnson has entered the NCAA transfer portal, she said Thursday on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Johnson has three years of eligibility remaining.

"I would like to thank coach (Dawn Plitzuweit) and the rest of the coaching staff for giving me the opportunity to play here at the University of Minnesota," Johnson said on X. "Thank you to my teammates for the memories and the endless support this past year. I will always cherish the relationships I have gained throughout my time here. After much consideration, I have decided it is in my best interest to enter the transfer portal for my remaining three years of eligibility."

Johnson was an early enrollee at the U in 2023-24, though she didn't appear in a game that season. As a freshman in 2024-25, Johnson played in 24 games, averaging 2.9 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. She scored a season-high 15 points in a win over Rutgers on Jan. 8, one of two double-digit scoring games Johnson posted this past season.

Johnson was a highly-ranked recruit coming out of Wilmont Union High School in Wilmont, Wis., coming in at No. 60 in ESPN's 2024 top-100 rankings. She averaged 26.1 points and 10 rebounds per game as a high school senior.