Top ten currently in the portal
6,255 Views | 51 Replies
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Finnish Oski
12:55p, 3/27/24
Don't know if we have a chance at any of them but I'd personally love to have Saylor Poffenbarger -- what a fun name! https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/39818577/womens-ncaa-basketball-transfer-rankings-2024-25-season
wvitbear
2:36p, 3/27/24
Higginbottom needs to learn to spell her name.
wbbilluminati
6:08p, 3/29/24
Santa Clara's star aussie PG, Tess Heal, who averaged 19.5ppg and 4.9apg as a soph this past season, has entered the portal. Looks like Maryland is already hot on her tail, and Tennessee
stu
6:12p, 3/29/24
In reply to wbbilluminati
wbbilluminati said:

Santa Clara's star aussie PG, Tess Heal, who averaged 19.5ppg and 4.9apg as a soph this past season, has entered the portal. Looks like Maryland is already hot on her tail, and Tennessee
Wonder if she knows Lulu?
Woodacre
6:14p, 3/29/24
I believe that there are 349 Division 1 teams...so far athletes from 289 schools have entered the portal...I am thankful so far...and hold my breath every time I look at the update...
SFCALBear72
6:30p, 3/29/24
In reply to wbbilluminati
wbbilluminati said:

Santa Clara's star aussie PG, Tess Heal, who averaged 19.5ppg and 4.9apg as a soph this past season, has entered the portal. Looks like Maryland is already hot on her tail, and Tennessee
This 5-10 point guard scored 15 points against us last November with 3 rebounds/3 assists.
Tess Heal was also a 35% 3-point shooter for the season.
SFCALBear72
2:43p, 4/1/24
In reply to wbbilluminati
wbbilluminati said:

Santa Clara's star aussie PG, Tess Heal, who averaged 19.5ppg and 4.9apg as a soph this past season, has entered the portal. Looks like Maryland is already hot on her tail, and Tennessee
Do you think we would have a shot at getting her? Or will she follow her former Virginia Tech coach to Kentucky?


Georgia Amoore (5-6 SR point guard, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia) has entered the portal, as a grad xfer out of Virginia Tech WBB; third-team All-American.
Schroeder71
2:50p, 4/1/24
Tess Heal is a must get for Charmin Smith as a replacement PG. She has speed which the Bears sorely lack. She drove to the basket for layups against Cal plus she can drain the three. I believe that she was a southpaw. The Aussie would have two seasons of eligibility remaining...GO BEARS!
stu
4:34p, 4/1/24
In reply to Schroeder71
We do have 2 incoming freshie guards who may have speed.
I.E.Bear
6:10p, 4/2/24
In reply to SFCALBear72
I think she's following her coach to Kentucky. It will be interesting to see how soon she announces.
I.E.Bear
6:11p, 4/2/24
Oregon State guard Talia is in the transfer portal.

SFCALBear72
6:30p, 4/2/24
In reply to I.E.Bear
I.E.Bear said:

I think she's following her coach to Kentucky. It will be interesting to see how soon she announces.
Agree. Apparently, she also stipulated a "no contact" request in her filing.
Schroeder71
12:49p, 4/3/24
SFCB72-Does "no contact" mean that she'll initiate all of her college contacts?
SFCALBear72
3:17p, 4/3/24
In reply to Schroeder71
Schroeder71 said:

SFCB72-Does "no contact" mean that she'll initiate all of her college contacts?
Yes. She knows now what schools interest her.
Schroeder71
4:25p, 4/4/24
Hailey Van Lith has decided to not opt for the WNBA but has instead entered the transfer portal to depart LSU.
I.E.Bear
7:31p, 4/8/24
Timea Gardiner is the latest player to exit OSU.

Schroeder71
1:58p, 4/10/24
The SF Chronicle writer Marisa Ingemi listed Stanford's 10 transfer "wish" list that would help boost the team next season as they enter the ACC. I don't think that she knew Tara would be retiring today.
#1-Hailey Van Lith, SG, LSU
#2-Kaitlyn Chen, PG, Princeton
#3-Charlisse Leger-Walker, SG, WSU
#4-Talia von Oelhoffen, SG, Oregon State
#5-Tess Heal, PG, Santa Clara
#6-Deja Kelly, PG, UNC
#7-Grace Van Slooten, F, Oregon
#8-Chance Gray, PG, Oregon
#9-Jordan Obi, F, Penn
10-Brenna McDonald, F, Yale

I hope Cal attempts to contact some of these quality portal transfers. Supposedly, a couple on this list have contacted Stanford and scheduled visits.

GO BEARS!
mbBear
7:45a, 4/11/24
In reply to Schroeder71
Schroeder71 said:

The SF Chronicle writer Marisa Ingemi listed Stanford's 10 transfer "wish" list that would help boost the team next season as they enter the ACC. I don't think that she knew Tara would be retiring today.
#1-Hailey Van Lith, SG, LSU
#2-Kaitlyn Chen, PG, Princeton
#3-Charlisse Leger-Walker, SG, WSU
#4-Talia von Oelhoffen, SG, Oregon State
#5-Tess Heal, PG, Santa Clara
#6-Deja Kelly, PG, UNC
#7-Grace Van Slooten, F, Oregon
#8-Chance Gray, PG, Oregon
#9-Jordan Obi, F, Penn
10-Brenna McDonald, F, Yale

I hope Cal attempts to contact some of these quality portal transfers. Supposedly, a couple on this list have contacted Stanford and scheduled visits.

GO BEARS!
Maybe she did the above list before announced but: Lucy Olsen, the #3 scorer in the nation from Villanova, has entered the portal.
ClayK
8:02a, 4/11/24
I think Cal's best shot at any of these transfers is a West Coast kid. If you're coming from the East Coast, the L.A. schools are a lot more attractive for a lot of reasons (Cartago delenda est), and for a grad student, Stanford probably has more to offer. (Heresy, I know ...)

Tess Heal would be the likeliest, I think, and she would fill a need. Can't see Van Lith -- Washington would be a more obvious West Coast stop for her.

But the competition for these players will be intense, and everyone likes to win, so Charmin Smith needs to sell all these players on the idea that Cal will be competitive in the ACC. (Along that line, the McKayla situation could be an issue. If she's out there saying negative things about Cal, it's not good. Maybe she isn't, which is what we need to hope for.)



stu
9:28a, 4/11/24
In reply to ClayK
ClayK said:

...
(Along that line, the McKayla situation could be an issue. If she's out there saying negative things about Cal, it's not good. Maybe she isn't, which is what we need to hope for.)
Can you share any details? I thought she had a really good start then tapered off.
CalWSportsFan
9:33a, 4/11/24
In reply to ClayK
Re grad school options, I really think it depends on the discipline a student athlete may be looking for. Stanford has some strong programs as does Cal. " In all, some 30 Berkeley graduate programs ranked in the Top 10 in the country "

https://news.berkeley.edu/2024/04/08/best-graduate-schools-2024-rankings-us-news#:~:text=Schools%20and%20disciplines%20at%20Berkeley,Systems%20(No.%201)
stu
9:44a, 4/11/24
In reply to CalWSportsFan
Are most of our grads playing basketball here for a degree or a certificate? I don't know if working toward a top-10 graduate degree is compatible with playing high-level basketball.
CalWSportsFan
9:47a, 4/11/24
In reply to stu
Well Ila is. She'll be here next year finishing a two-year program (I've been told).

Also, same could be said about Stanford's grad programs…if that's a point of comparison.
mbBear
11:00a, 4/11/24
In reply to ClayK
ClayK said:

I think Cal's best shot at any of these transfers is a West Coast kid. If you're coming from the East Coast, the L.A. schools are a lot more attractive for a lot of reasons (Cartago delenda est), and for a grad student, Stanford probably has more to offer. (Heresy, I know ...)

Tess Heal would be the likeliest, I think, and she would fill a need. Can't see Van Lith -- Washington would be a more obvious West Coast stop for her.

But the competition for these players will be intense, and everyone likes to win, so Charmin Smith needs to sell all these players on the idea that Cal will be competitive in the ACC. (Along that line, the McKayla situation could be an issue. If she's out there saying negative things about Cal, it's not good. Maybe she isn't, which is what we need to hope for.)




Just as a point of reference: Men's swimming and both Rowing programs have top athletes from the East Coast (or close to the coast);. one of the top two gymnasts on Cal women's team, ranked 3rd in the country, is from New Jersey. Got to figure that the best swimmers in the US have to be from the too cool SoCal area right? Yeah, top Golden Bear swimmer Destin Lasco is from Linwood, NJ....across the inlet/bay from Atlantic City...

It's funny how those "lots of reasons" often comes down to winning and recent success; if you want to ding Cal for being behind $C and FUCLA because they are coming off good seasons, and/or they have an advantage of giving someone a chance to play with JuJu Watkins, yeah, okay....

Further note, though anecdotal: we used to host an event for accepted students from the greater Philadelphia area (meaning Delaware and South New Jersey)...these kids were either going to Cal and wanting to meet others, or, trying to decide where they should go among the places they were accepted, and we were doing soft recruiting. Once in a (powder) blue moon were they considering UCLA ;I don't ever remember $C as being part of their considerations.....

SFCALBear72
2:27p, 4/11/24
In reply to ClayK
ClayK said:


(Along that line, the McKayla situation could be an issue. If she's out there saying negative things about Cal, it's not good. Maybe she isn't, which is what we need to hope for.)




Why would you even bring this up? Perhaps it's the same reason why you created another post on the premium Bear Insider forum about Charmin Smith's contract extension. Giving people another opportunity to post their harsh and nasty criticism of the extension decision. Shameful.

Fyi. McKayla's sister is Reshanda Gray, a highly regarded Cal alum. Doubtful she would be saying unkind things about the Cal program.
Schroeder71
4:25p, 4/11/24
If McKayla Williams is unhappy with the Cal program, it might have something to do with her status on the team. Charmin Smith started McKayla Williams for two-thirds of the season. Then, for the USC game, she inserted Kemery Martin into the starting lineup. KK came off of the bench for 9 consecutive games until her final game of the season, the Stanford game in the Pac 12 Tournament. As I recall, the Bears led the Cardinal at halftime by 8 points. Basically, KK became the sixth man for Charmin for nine games down the stretch. I believe that the HC wanted McKayla to be an offensive spark off of the bench. KK was always a starter at Gonzaga and may not have transferred if she knew that she would not be at Cal.

I'm speculating here. I have no proof that this was an issue. I guess that we will find out soon enough. As all of us know, McKayla Williams did not participate in either of the two WBIT games in Berkeley. She was MIA for the Hawaii and Saint Joseph's games and was not with the team.

2023-2024 California Women's Basketball (PDF) - California Golden Bears Athletics (calbears.com)
Finnish Oski
6:07p, 4/11/24
Quote:

If McKayla Williams is unhappy with the Cal program, it might have something to do with her status on the team. Charmin Smith started McKayla Williams for two-thirds of the season. Then, for the USC game, she inserted Kemery Martin into the starting lineup. KK came off of the bench for 9 consecutive games until her final game of the season, the Stanford game in the Pac 12 Tournament. As I recall, the Bears led the Cardinal at halftime by 8 points. Basically, KK became the sixth man for Charmin for nine games down the stretch. I believe that the HC wanted McKayla to be an offensive spark off of the bench. KK was always a starter at Gonzaga and may not have transferred if she knew that she would not be at Cal.

I'm speculating here. I have no proof that this was an issue. I guess that we will find out soon enough. As all of us know, McKayla Williams did not participate in either of the two WBIT games in Berkeley. She was MIA for the Hawaii and Saint Joseph's games and was not with the team.
I don't understand the point of this kind of speculation. You might as well say that maybe she didn't get along with teammates or that she had trouble with classes or that she wanted to play center. It's okay for us not to know. Maybe there'll be an announcement at some point. Maybe not. We can live with not knowing.
(Anyone consider the possibility that she was abducted by aliens?)
CalWSportsFan
6:15p, 4/11/24
Poor OSU...Now Beers is in the portal...
wbbilluminati
6:22p, 4/11/24

seems people already new Krimili was returning (her 6th year!) but had not seen her instagram announcement posted so:

https://instagr.am/p/C5Wmz2aSVN0
annarborbear
6:34p, 4/11/24
Watching seven players transfer out on an OSU Elite Eight team and on a great coach and fan base sums up the current state of collegiate sports and women's basketball.
wbbilluminati
6:53p, 4/11/24
Former Sac State star 6'5" Isnelle Natabou, who transferred to Iowa State last year but just got completely overtaken by freshman center sensation Audi Crooks, is in the portal w/ a Covid year left.

She averaged a double double (15ppg, 10rpg and most impressively 64.3FG%) in two seasons at Sac State (from the Czech Republic, spent a year in junior college at first).

Though only 1 season of eligibility left, I think she would be a great get. Very strong, tall, athletic and a late bloomer with still room for improvement.

Had 13pts & 8rbs against us when we beat them to open the 2021-2022 season, so her first game of D1 basketball.
mbBear
8:14p, 4/11/24
In reply to annarborbear
annarborbear said:

Watching seven players transfer out on an OSU Elite Eight team and on a great coach and fan base sums up the current state of collegiate sports and women's basketball.


Well, that whole Pac12 blowing up might have something to do with this particular school.. ..
not unrelated to the bigger landscape, I get that too ..
OBear073akaSMFan
8:16p, 4/11/24
In reply to Finnish Oski
That's SR-71 loves to post negative comments based on NOthing!
BearBint
12:42a, 4/12/24
YO!!! Happy to hear this. Am visiting the daughter in Britain; she'll be delighted as well.
"Don't get distracted, myself. Don't get distracted." Self-talk from a young relative
SFCALBear72
7:21a, 4/12/24
In reply to BearBint
BearBint said:

YO!!! Happy to hear this. Am visiting the daughter in Britain; she'll be delighted as well.

Yes, she confirmed it in a Charmin Smith extension story in The Chronicle and on Instagram. "Had too much fun to not run it back." #6thyearfreshie #onelasttime.
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