Nebraska Women's Basketball Adds Former Big Ten Starting Forward Via Transfer Portal

Coming off its third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, Nebraska women's basketball added its first transfer portal prospect of the offseason on Friday morning.

Edessa Noyan, formerly of Indiana, signed with the Big Red and will have one year of eligibility remaining to make an impact in the scarlet and cream. For the Huskers, who ended the 2025-26 season with a 19-13 overall record and 12th-place finish in the Big Ten, reloading its front court was top of mind.

Here's the latest on the newest addition, and what it means for the program moving forward.

LOCKED N 🔒

Welcome to the Good Life, Edessa! pic.twitter.com/ypRVtnylHu
— Nebraska Women's Basketball (@HuskerWBB) April 17, 2026

Career Experience

Noyan brings to Lincoln a plethora of experience at the collegiate level, including 86 games played and 47 starts. The first two seasons of her career were at Virginia, where she saw action in 54 games. As a Cavalier, Noyan increasingly saw her workload expand before heading to the Big Ten.

As a freshman, the Swedish native averaged 13.6 minutes per game and earned the first three starts of her career. In 28 games, Noyan contributed 2.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per contest. The following season, she became more dependable: 5.7 points and 4.3 rebounds across 26 games. She also logged an average of 25.3 minutes per contest while gaining another 23 starts.

After transferring to Indiana, Noyan again contributed with a major role. As a Hoosier, the at-the-time junior averaged 5.8 points and 5.8 rebounds on 22.7 minutes per game. Earning an additional 21 starts, Noyan helped Indiana to an 18-14 overall record and a 13th-place finish in the Big Ten.

Where She'll Slot in for the Big Red

Jessica Petrie started 23 games for Nebraska last season and has since moved on from the program after three years. Oddly enough, she signed with the Hoosiers out of the transfer portal, making it a bit of a player swap scenario for both squads.

During the 2025-26 season, Petrie averaged 11.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest on 23.1 minutes per game, leaving a sizeable hole in the Big Red's front court rotation ahead of next year. That's where Noyan's addition likely comes.

Though the Huskers are set to return Amiah Hargrove and are expected to have former Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2024) Natalie Potts return from injury, the will-be senior is expected to factor into the rotation. With 47 career starts to her name, Noyan could very well fit into that role in Lincoln. Regardless, she'll supply some much-needed depth at the position next season.

3️⃣ straight NCAA tournament appearances

Working hard to develop great players and build special teams year after year. pic.twitter.com/7V582j4zu5
— Nebraska Women's Basketball (@HuskerWBB) April 13, 2026

NU's Roster Moving Forward

2026-27	2027-28	2028-29	2029-30
Logan Nissley- Sr.	Britt Prince- Sr.	Natalie Potts- Sr.	Ashlyn Koupal- Sr.
Allison Weidner- Sr.	Amiah Hargrove- Sr.	Kennadi Williams- Sr.	Maddi Stewart- Sr.
Emily Fisher- Sr.	Natalie Potts- Jr.	Ashlyn Koupal- Jr.	Ava Miles- Sr.
Edessa Noyan- Sr.	Kennadi Williams- Jr.	Maddi Stewart- Jr.
Britt Prince- Jr.	Ashlyn Koupal- So.	Ava Miles- Jr.
Amiah Hargrove- Jr.	Maddi Stewart- So.
Natalie Potts- So.	Ava Miles- So.
Kennadi Williams- So.
Ashlyn Koupal- Fr.
Maddi Stewart- Fr.
Ava Miles- Fr.

Amy Williams' Statement on Noyan

Nebraska head coach Amy Williams knew what her team needed to replace. In Noyan, she believes they found a perfect fit.

"We are so excited to bring Edessa to the program," Williams said. "She fits perfectly into all aspects of our team. She is a gritty player with great versatility who is willing to do the dirty work on the court. Her ability to play inside and out makes her a dangerous threat. She is a great teammate with a tremendous work ethic. Husker Nation will be excited to watch her this season."

Transfer Portal Recap to Date

A large part of what the Huskers have seen happen in the transfer portal is departures to this point. To date, five different former Nebraska players have entered, with only two of them finding a new home.

Regardless, the Big Red only currently has 11 players on the roster and will need to continue adding ahead of next year. NU managed to retain several of the key players from the 2025-26 iteration of the team, including Britt Prince, Amiah Hargrove, Natalie Potts, Logan Nissley, and Emily Fisher, giving them a solid core. However, there's little doubt they'll need to supplement what they lost beyond the 2026 recruiting class.

Tenth-Ranked 2026 Recruiting Haul

Headlined by Ashlyn Koupal, Amy Williams' staff managed to sign the No. 10 overall class in the 2026 cycle. Regarded as the No. 11 overall player, Koupal could be on the fast track towards earning a starting role right away. At 6-2, the Wagner (SD) native was invited to participate in the McDonald's All-American game, Jordan Brand Classic, and was named the South Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year. She alone could breathe new life into the program, though there's already plenty of reason to be optimistic about next year.

NU also added Ava Miles of Staley (MO). A four-star forward, the incoming freshman has skills of her own. Miles is regarded as the No. 72 overall player in the class and is coming off a first-team all-conference, all-district, and all-state senior year. At 6-0, she can play both guard and forward for Nebraska in college.

Lastly, the Huskers added the No. 81 overall recruit in the 2026 cycle in Maddi Stewart of Lincoln Christian (OK). At 5-10, Stewart likely slots into a shooting guard role and would benefit from taking a redshirt year. Still, she projects to be a player capable of making a multi-year impact at the Power Four level.

What Happens Next?

Nebraska still has work to do to round out its roster ahead of next season. The core is in place, but open spots remain and will need to be addressed.

The Huskers may not pursue any headline additions, which aligns with their approach so far. Instead, the focus will likely shift to adding depth and players who can fill specific roles.

Entering the 2026-27 season, the Huskers have the foundation of a team capable of competing near the top of the Big Ten. Health will be critical, as it could determine whether the Big Red are simply in the NCAA Tournament field or positioned to make a deeper run.

The women's college basketball transfer portal officially opened on April 6 and closes on April 20. Expect several more additions to be made before the start of next year, even if they don't happen before the date to enter closes on Monday.

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