Veteran UCF Transfer Forward Khyala Ngodu Signs with West Virginia

It's officially official. Just ten days after shutting down her recruitment with a verbal pledge to West Virginia, UCF forward transfer Khyala Ngodu put pen to paper to complete the process of becoming a Mountaineer.

"We're thrilled to add Khyala to our Mountaineer Women's Basketball program. She's a proven Big 12 post with great size, toughness, and versatility, and her ability to score, rebound, and defend at a high level makes her a perfect fit for us," WVU women's head basketball coach Mark Kellogg said in a press release. "She plays with relentless effort and physicality every time she steps on the floor, and her experience will bring immediate value to our team. Khyala is a great addition to WVU both on and off the court."

Even Mark Kellogg's wife, Trisha, was fired up to welcome Ngodu to the program, sharing her excitement by tweeting, "She has such awesome energy and spirit! Can’t wait for this baller! Let’s gooo!!"

The one thing the Mountaineers have lacked in Kellogg's first three years in Morgantown is size in the post. Ngodu's 6'3" frame will go a long way in improving their production inside the paint. She had five double-doubles this past season for the Knights and came either a bucket or a rebound (or two) shy of reaching that feat on three other occasions.

It's probably safe to say that her performance against the Mountaineers back in late February stuck in Kellogg's mind for a while. She gave WVU all sorts of problems, finishing the game with 21 points (7/12 FG), nine rebounds, one assist, and a block. A year ago, she had 14 & 7 against West Virginia, and as a true freshman, she combined for 11 points and 17 rebounds in the two contests.

In her final two games of the regular season this year, one of which was that game against WVU, she combined for 41 points, 19 rebounds, five blocks, and four steals while converting on 16/28 shots from the field.

With her and Marquette transfer Skylar Forbes, also 6'3", West Virginia will have a much different-looking frontcourt in 2026-27, and perhaps one that can help them finally get past the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Ngodu will have one year of eligibility remaining.

West Virginia’s updated transfer portal class

G: Nylah Wilson (Pitt), Kennedy Harris (George Mason)

F: Skylar Forbes (Marquette), Zahirah Walton (George Mason), Divine Tumba Tshibuabua

C: Khyala Ngodu (UCF)

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