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Mississippi State Sees First Women’s Basketball Transfer Portal Departure

Mississippi State guard Awa Fane is reportedly entering the transfer portal, signaling the start of key offseason roster decisions.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Awa Fane (8) drives to the basket Wednesday, March 4, 2026, during the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament first round game against the Florida Gators at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Awa Fane (8) drives to the basket Wednesday, March 4, 2026, during the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament first round game against the Florida Gators at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Mississippi State Bulldogs

The NCAA Women’s Tournament just solidified its Sweet 16 field Monday night and now those teams will prepare for their biggest games of the season.

For everyone else, it’s the offseason and that means the craziness of the transfer portal is right around the corner. The 15-day portal window for college basketball opens April 6, one day after the women’s championship game.

Most teams, including some of the 16 still playing, are already working on the transfer portal. Whether its scouting potential portal entrants or working to keep their own players from entering the portal, the work is underway.

For Mississippi State, it can be argued that work has been going on for a while now. It’s been nearly a month since Favour Nwaedozi announced she will return to Starkville next season. Now, we have our first Bulldog to announce plans to enter the transfer portal.

Junior guard Awa Fane is reportedly planning to enter the portal when it opens in two weeks after just one season with Mississippi State.

Fane arrived at Mississippi State with a strong junior college résumé. She spent her first two seasons at Panola College in Texas, where she made an immediate impact. As a freshman, she started 21 of 26 games and averaged 16.7 points, five rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting efficiently across the board.

She followed that with an even bigger sophomore season, starting all 29 games she played. Her numbers stayed steady (16.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists) and she earned Region XIV Player of the Year, becoming Panola’s first winner in two decades. She also picked up NJCAA First-Team All-American honors, which set the bar high heading into her move to Starkville.

At Mississippi State, Fane flashed some of that potential but played a smaller role. She appeared in 22 games, averaged 10 minutes, and finished with 3.2 points and one rebound per game. Her best outing came early with 11 points against Georgia State, and she closed the season with nine in the finale.

Now she’ll explore her options in the portal, and Mississippi State will begin navigating what could be the first of several roster decisions this offseason.

Losing Fane isn’t the end of the world. It’s also not one of the names fans would like to see announce they’re staying at Mississippi State. Freshman Madison Francis leads that list.

Mississippi State Women’s Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker

Outgoing

  • Faith Wylder, 6-6, C, Soph.
  • Awa Fane, 5-8, G, Jr.

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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