Gophers' Transfer Target Commits Elsewhere; Latest Portal Rumblings

Minnesota's women's basketball program is still looking for its first transfer portal commitment of the offseason.

Mar 27, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Dawn Plitzuweit during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Sacramento Regional 2 of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

We're over two weeks removed from the Gophers' 2025-26 season ending in the Sweet 16 against eventual national champions UCLA. They did a tremendous job retaining their entire core heading into the offseason, but they're still looking for their first transfer portal addition. Is there reason to panic?

Latest portal noise

Minnesota was reportedly a finalist for Purdue transfer post player Lana McCarthy, who averaged 7.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game last season for the Boilermakers. She committed to mid-major powerhouse Fairfield on Tuesday.

The Gophers didn't appear to show much interest in former Minnesota prep stars Liv McGill and Aalyiah Crump, who've both committed to Oklahoma State and Duke, respectively. Minnesota used a lot of financial resources to retain its core, so adding either player always seemed unlikely.

Fellow local products Nunu Agara, Jordan Ode and Zahara Bishop remain uncommitted. There's reason to think the Gophers could make a run at any of the three players, but there hasn't been any reason to believe that's the case so far.

Reason to panic?

When college basketball teams across the country are making big transfer portal splashes, it's easy to panic when your team isn't. That shouldn't be the case for Gophers fans. They're returning Grace Grocholski, Tori McKinney and Mara Braun. They're bringing in one of their best high school recruiting classes in program history, headlined by Tori Oehrlein and Natalie Kussow.

A high-profile transfer portal addition could've made Minnesota a championship contender. That scenario isn't impossible, but it feels less and less likely the deeper we get into the cycle. A veteran post player is still a significant need for the Gophers.

If the Gophers don't add a proven veteran guard, Oehlrein and Kussow are both high-profile freshmen who have the potential to contribute right away alongside Braun, Grocholski and McKinney. They could just focus on development this season ahead of what could be a massive 2027-28 season.

As for the frontcourt, Minnesota desperately needs an addition. 6-foot-3 freshman Zoey Bershers played just 12 games in her first season, and averaged 1.9 minutes in those contests. 6-foot forward Taylor Woodson is coming off back-to-back season-ending injury, and incoming freshman Adit Kuol could be viewed as a raw prospect. A proven veteran would solve a lot of questions.

The transfer portal is certainly a marathon and not a sprint, so there's no reason to panic about the Gophers' strategy yet. But it might be wise to temper expectations after their breakthrough 2025-26 season.