Gophers Women's Basketball Has a Golden Opportunity for a Big Transfer Portal Splash

There is some outstanding talent with plenty of Minnesota connections in the transfer portal this offseason.

Florida Gators guard Liv McGill (23) drives to the basket Wednesday, March 4, 2026, during the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament first round game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Gophers women's basketball is coming off its best season in more than 20 years with a run to the Sweet 16, which ended against the eventual national champs, UCLA. The transfer portal is officially open for business, and Minnesota has the opportunity to make a huge splash. Here's why.

College sports are big business now more than ever, and women's basketball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. It's fair to presume that Minnesota brought in more money than usual during the 2025-26 season. Hosting three NCAA Tournament games at Williams Arena, and serious fan interest in the program tends to generate more dollars. There's some real momentum around the program, and they have a chance to build on that.

The entire University of Minnesota athletic department seems to be pointing in the right direction. The men's basketball team retained its core of players, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, Isaac Asuma, Bobby Durkin and Grayson Grove. The women's team is bringing back every player who had a major role on last season's team. The school objectively doesn't spend on athletics like Big Ten peers such as Ohio State, Michigan and Indiana, so keeping those players in Dinkytown likely took a significant part of both programs' budgets.

The return of Mara Braun, Tori McKinney and Grace Grocholski establishes a top 25 floor of expectations heading into next season. The Gophers have questions at point guard and center, which makes this year's transfer portal cycle so interesting.

The departures of Sophie Hart and Finau Tonga leave a big hole in Minnesota's frontcourt, which makes them a potential fit for Iowa State superstar Audi Crooks. Minneapolis native Nunu Agara entered the transfer portal after three years at Stanford. Crooks is likely way out of the Gophers' price range, and Agara will also likely garner a significant deal. If they want to take the next step as a program, landing either player could do the trick. Do they have the money?

The Gophers are welcoming one of the most accomplished players in Minnesota high school basketball history, Tori Oehrlein, and Wisconsin Miss Basketball Natalie Kussow as true freshmen in the backcourt. If they want a more experienced option, former Hopkins High School standout Liv McGill is in the transfer portal after averaging 22.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game last season at Florida.

Crooks, Agara and McGill are all going to be big-money players in the transfer portal for different reasons, and there's a chance all three could be out of Minnesota's price range. There are reasons for and against adding any of the three players to Plitzuweit's system. Minnesota's program is in a healthy place without any of the three, but if they want to make a headline move this offseason, the opportunity is right in front of them.