Oregon State Women's Basketball adds JUCO Transfer Mariia Ignatchenko
After losing three players to the transfer portal earlier this spring, Oregon State Women's Basketball has been mostly quiet, with no roster additions during the transfer period. That changed this week, with the Beavers announcing their first off season addition, JUCO transfer Mariia Ignatchenko.
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Ignatchenko, originally from Mykolaiv in Ukraine, comes to the Beavers from Salt Lake Community College. Prior to that, she also spent some time at South Georgia Tech Junior College and with the Ukrainian U18 and U20 teams. Last season with Salt Lake CC, Ignatchenko averaged 4.4 points per game and 3.7 rebounds per game.
Signing Ignatchenko, a 6'4" forward/center, is one of the first steps to address the Beavers' most glaring need; post presence. Two of the Beavers' tallest players, Lizzie Williamson and Nene Sow, graduated after the 2025-26 season, and another player with size, Elisa Mehyar, entered the transfer portal in April.
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That makes the tallest returning player from last season Lara Alonso Basuro, at 6'4". Alonso Basuro showed flashes of potential this past season, averaging 16.1 minutes and 4.9 points per game. She'll likely be shouldering a larger work load next season, but definitely could use some more help.
In addition to Ignatchenko, some help will also be arriving in the form of the Beavers' recruiting class. The name to keep an eye on in this year's class is Evelini Smith, a 6'4" forwardout of St. Mary's High School in Antelope, California. Ignatchenko, Alosno Basuro and Smith give Oregon State an set of interesting set of options at forward.
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Oregon State will have eight players returning from last year's team, and four new recruits. Ignatchenko's arrival makes her the thirteenth player on the roster, leaving room for two more players. The Beavers are pretty strong at guard, so expect them to target forward and center in any remaining additions.
After returning to the NCAA Tournament in 2025, Oregon State fell just short in 2026, dropping the West Coast Conference Championship to Gonzaga. After that, they dropped a first round match up against Wisconsin in the WBIT, ending their season.
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While the Beavers lost one of their top scorers to graduation in Tiara Bolden, they will be bringing back two of their best in Kennedie Shuler and Jenna Villa. If they can fix the gaps in their front court, Oregon State should be well positioned to compete in the new Pac-12 this fall.
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Having grown up in Pocatello, home of the Idaho State Bengals, John Severs is a lifelong fan of small schools that don't always deliver a lot of wins. Prior to writing for On SI, John covered the Beavers for SB Nation's Oregon State blog Building the Dam, with a focus on baseball and women's basketball. When he's not watching college sports he spends most of his time reading, playing video games and annoying cats.