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Three Biggest Transfer Portal Targets for UCF Knights Women's Basketball

With a new coaching staff at the helm, here are three players currently in the transfer portal that coach Gave Lazo can target for his debut Knights squad.
Bryson Turner|
Iowa State Cyclones' guard Jada Williams (8) lays up the ball around UCF Knights center Khyala Ngodu (35) during the second quarter in the Big-12 women’s basketball on Jan. 31, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.
Iowa State Cyclones' guard Jada Williams (8) lays up the ball around UCF Knights center Khyala Ngodu (35) during the second quarter in the Big-12 women’s basketball on Jan. 31, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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With the NCAA women's basketball transfer portal window already open, the new coaching staff of the UCF Knights women's basketball team does not have much time to settle into their new roles before going straight into recruiting mode.

New coach Gabe Lazo is going to have plenty of roster spots to fill with eight Knights already in the transfer portal after Day 1, with an additional two running out of eligibility.

So, here are some targets that coach Gabe Lazo and his staff could quickly look toward to help build the Knights' 2026-27 roster:

1. Anyone from Tennessee

The Tennessee Lady Volunteers are going to have a large turnover from last season, as not only did Lazo leave the staff of coach Kim Caldwell (even before he was going to be UCF's head coach), but their entire remaining roster after graduating players ended up entering the transfer portal.

This presents an opportunity for Lazo, who recruited some of these players to Knoxville, to recruit them a second time to come to Orlando.

With Lazo being a coach from successful defensive teams, this might make junior guard Talaysia Cooper one of the players most on his radar. She started in 25 of the 29 games she played last season, averaged 4.7 rebounds per game, the third-highest on the team, and led the Volunteers with 78 steals, finishing among the top 10 in the SEC.

There is also a Florida native in this group in freshman guard Jaida Civil. A McDonald's All-American hailing from Vero Beach, Civil was named 2024-25 Florida MaxPreps Girls High School Basketball Player and rated as a four-star recruit by 247Sports coming out of high school. In her one season with the Lady Vols, she started 10 of the 30 games she played while averaging 6.4 points per game and four rebounds per game.

There are two more freshman Lazo could recruit: the Pauldo Twins, Mia and Mya. The duo signed an NIL deal with Puma at the age of 15 and made their college basketball debuts last season with the Vols. Mia ended up getting on the court more often, averaging 10.4 points per game while shooting 85.5% from the charity stripe, while Mya started in just one of the 27 games she played and averaged 1.8 points per game.

2. Diawna Carter-Hartley, South Alabama

New UCF assistant coach Lynn Bria is familiar with forward Diawna Carter-Hartley, having coached her at Stetson for her freshman season in 2024-25.

Last offseason, Carter-Hartley transferred to South Alabama and became one of their main forwards, whether she was in the starting five or coming off the bench. She averaged 8.8 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game, the latter of which was the second-highest average on the team. She also led the way in steals, with 53.

With Carter-Hartley now back in the portal this offseason, a reunion with Bria in Orlando would not only provide her with a familiar face but also a chance to play at the Power 4 level.

3. Hannah Kohn, Clemson

Guard Hannah Kohn is an instance where UCF can capitalize on the recruiting tactic of bringing a player back home. Hailing from Oviedo, Kohn is the daughter of Josh Kohn, a former UNC Asheville basketball player and now the boys basketball coach at Hagerty High School, which is just a seven-minute drive from Addition Financial Arena.

Initially committing to Chattanooga, Kohn transferred to Clemson for her next two seasons, in which she got the chance to start. Her scoring average did take a dip from 9.2 points per game in 2024-25 to 4.7 points per game last season, though that also came at the same time as a reduction in her minutes. So, with one more season of eligibility remaining, Kohn is likely looking to finish her college career on a high note.

So, with one more season of eligibility remaining, Kohn is likely looking to finish her college career on a high note. The question is, is she open to trying to do that back home?

The NCAA women's basketball transfer window remains open through April 20.

Catch up on more UCF news here:

The 2026-27 UCF Knights Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker

Former Tennessee Assistant Named UCF Women's Basketball Coach

UCF On Verge Of Historic Spring

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Bryson Turner
BRYSON TURNER

Bryson Turner is a sports journalist who covers UCF Athletics. Turner has contributed to the Black and Gold Banneret, the home for UCF Athletics on SB Nation. He has called the Orlando area home since the age of 8 and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from UCF.

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