Preseason transfer impact rankings

With more than 1,300 transfers now acclimated to their new surroundings and about to play women's college basketball games for real in less than two weeks, it's a good time to revisit the best of the bunch.

This revised addition of our top transfers list from April has as much to do with the impact each player will have on their new team as it does with their talent and ability. Who are the biggest game changers? Who could alter national and conference championship races the most? Who becomes more important because of other roster movement?

The importance of Ta'Niya Latson to South Carolina has grown the past two weeks. MiLaysia Fulwiley might have the defined role at LSU she never found with the Gamecocks. UConn and UCLA have each added star players since our last ranking who add more intrigue to the Huskies' title defense and the Bruins' pursuit of a first.

With the start of the 2025-26 season just about here, let's look at the top 25 transfers with the biggest potential impact.

1. Ta'Niya Latson, 5-8, G, Sr., South Carolina

The season-ending injury to Chloe Kitts after Ashlyn Watkins' decision to take the year off means the Gamecocks will be more perimeter-oriented than usual. That makes Latson's decision to leave Florida State to finish her college career in Columbia that much more important to the Gamecocks' pursuit of a sixth consecutive Final Four. Last season's leading scorer at 25.2 points per game also set career high averages in assists (4.6) and steals (2.2).

2. Olivia Miles, 5-10, G, Sr., TCU

The country's premier playmaker might have found the perfect fit for her final college season. Coach Mark Campbell's up-tempo, pick-and-roll system should create plenty of opportunities for Miles to use her outstanding court vision. She averaged 5.8 assists at Notre Dame last season to go along with a career-high 15.4 points and 40.6% 3-point shooting.

3. Serah Williams, 6-2, F, Sr., UConn

Consistent production defined Williams' three years at Wisconsin. Her addition gives the Huskies a big three that also includes Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd. Williams and Strong have a chance to be the best frontcourt duo in the country. Williams has a career field goal percentage of 51.5% and averaged 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds last season.

4. Gianna Kneepkens, 6-0, G, Sr., UCLA

An experienced wing with size might have been the one piece missing for the Bruins a season ago, and Cori Close got one of the nation's best in Kneepkens. A career 43.2% 3-point shooter in four seasons at Utah, Kneepkens returned from a foot injury that shortened her 2023-24 season to score 19.4 points per game last campaign -- which was good for fourth in the Big 12.

5. Yarden Garzon, 6-3, G, Sr., Maryland

Implementing transfers into her system has become a Brenda Frese hallmark, and the versatile former Indiana player should be an easy one. Expect Maryland to use Garzon at both the point and on the wing with her size creating matchup problems for defenses at either spot. A good defender and passer, she also excels as a shooter and has made 42.6% of her career 3-point attempts.

6. Cotie McMahon, 6-0, F, Sr., Ole Miss

The Rebels have been remade with transfers this season, and McMahon is the best of the eight new players brought in by coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. McMahon relied almost exclusively on her strength and power in her first two seasons at Ohio State, but her game became more nuanced last season. She averaged 16.4 points and dramatically improved her 3-point shooting to 38.6%.

7. MiLaysia Fulwiley, 5-10, G, Jr., LSU

No interconference transfer will get more attention than Fulwiley, who hopped from South Carolina to LSU. Add her energy and highlighting-making talent to the dynamic of switching sides in a rivalry, and it will be must-see TV when the teams meet on Feb. 14th for their lone regular-season matchup. Fulwiley only started three games in her two years with the Gamecocks, but it looks like she might land the Tigers' starting point guard role. LSU is also loaded in the backcourt with Flau'Jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams -- not to mention three guards from the No. 1 2025 recruiting class.

8. Janiah Barker, 6-4, F, Sr., Tennessee

Barker spent two years as a primary scoring option at Texas A&M and one year as a role player at UCLA. At Tennessee, Barker will probably be somewhere in between. Her size and strength will be an asset to the Lady Vols' rebounding, an essential element to their fast-paced style under coach Kim Caldwell. Barker only started three games at UCLA last season and averaged 7.4 points and 6.0 rebounds.

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9. Tonie Morgan, 5-9, G, Sr., Kentucky

Coach Kenny Brooks leaned heavily on Georgia Amoore in her one season at Kentucky. He might do the same with Morgan this year. The senior guard, who started 85 career games at Georgia Tech, was third in the ACC in assists per game (5.6) last season, and will now have an experienced frontcourt in Clara Strack, Teonni Key and Amelia Hassett to get the ball to in Lexington.

10. Taliah Scott, 5-9, G, So., Baylor

The Bears' 2025-26 fate might be entirely dependent on the health and production of Scott. In two stops in two seasons at Arkansas and Auburn, she played just 23 games. But she averaged 21.2 points in those appearances. A full season of a healthy Scott could make Baylor an explosive offense with a chance at a Big 12 title.

11. Laura Ziegler, 6-2, F, Sr., Louisville

Like Scott, Ziegler might hold the key to her team's success. If she can be as productive in the ACC as she was in the Atlantic 10, Louisville will have the kind of balance coach Jeff Walz craves. Without big contributions from Ziegler -- who averaged 17.5 points and 10.4 rebounds at Saint Joseph's last season -- he will be relying on a young backcourt to carry the Cardinals to a 16th straight NCAA tournament.

12. Kara Dunn, 5-11, G, Sr., USC

With JuJu Watkins out for the year, Dunn was a great acquisition from the portal for coach Lindsay Gottlieb. She can provide the leadership for what is a talented, but young, Trojans team. Dunn's strength is her strength: She can get to the rim and grabbed an impressive 5.8 rebounds a contest from her guard spot while averaging 15.5 points last season at Georgia Tech.

13. Oluchi Okananwa, 5-10, G, Jr., Maryland

Despite not starting any of her 71 games at Duke, Okananwa was instrumental in the Blue Devils teams that advanced to one Sweet 16 (2024), won the ACC tournament and appeared in an Elite Eight (2025). She averaged 16.3 points and 6.7 rebounds in the 2025 ACC tournament, winning MVP honors. Her talent as a defender might put Okananwa right next to Garzon in the Terps' starting lineup.

14. Dani Carnegie, 5-9, G, So., Georgia

After winning ACC sixth player of the year as a freshman at Georgia Tech, Carnegie is moving 73 miles east to Athens. She's the headline addition for Georgia coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, who needs to rebuild after going 25-37 over the past two seasons. Carnegie's 12.9 points coming off the Yellow Jackets' bench were more than any Bulldog averaged last season.

15. Madina Okot, 6-6, C, Sr., South Carolina

Okot went from a luxury to a necessity for the Gamecocks with Kitts and Watkins both out for the season. She becomes a primary frontcourt option for Dawn Staley, who might need her to produce the way she did a year ago at Mississippi State (11.3 PPG, 9.6 RPG).

16. Ra Shaya Kyle, 6-6, C, Sr., Miami

It has been a steady climb for Kyle, who has played parts of five college seasons: two at Purdue and three at Florida. Her minutes and point production have increased each season. The Hurricanes are a remade team with seven incoming transfers and five freshmen. Kyle, with her size, experience and 14.1 points and 8.7 rebounds a season ago, leads the way.

17. Jada Williams, 5-8, G, Jr., Iowa State

While only a 29.2% 3-point shooter at Arizona last season, Williams brings energy and explosiveness to the point guard position for the Cyclones. Last season's assist numbers (2.9) should go up with Audi Crooks and Addy Brown as passing targets, but Iowa State will welcome her ability to get to the rim and score (12.7 PPG).

18. Kiyomi McMiller, 5-8, G, So., Penn State

After being suspended in early January and then not playing after Feb. 6, it was clear McMiller's time at Rutgers was over. Both she and Penn State, which lost seven players in the portal, needed a reboot. Her 18.7 points and 3.0 assists per game should help an offense that was 11th in the Big Ten last season. McMiller will also get to play alongside an experienced backcourt teammate in redshirt junior Moriah Murray, who along with post Gracie Merkle, elected to return to State College after initially entering the portal.

19. Marta Suarez, 6-3, F, Gr., TCU

With her size and versatility, Suarez might be an ideal pick-and-roll partner for Miles. After two disappointing seasons at Tennessee, she averaged 12.9 points and 7.2 rebounds last year at Cal. If her 3-point shooting improves (31.5% last season), coach Mark Campbell might have the one-two punch to replicate the success of Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince.

20. Iyana Moore, 5-8, G, Gr., Notre Dame

The transfer portal was a net negative for Irish coach Niele Ivey, who lost Miles and Kate Koval. But Moore makes the deficit more palatable. Her consistency and versatility should make her a good fit playing alongside Hannah Hidalgo. She played with another high-scoring guard in Mikayla Blakes at Vanderbilt last season and still managed to score 12.4 points per game.

21. Sa'Myah Smith, 6-2, F, Jr., Virginia

Fully recovered from a knee injury she sustained early in the 2023-24 season, Smith was playing her best basketball in March, averaging 13.8 points and 10.3 rebounds in four NCAA tournament games for LSU. She has also blocked 1.3 shots per game in her career, and that rim protection ability will give the Cavaliers something they haven't had in recent years. If Virginia is to make just its second NCAA tournament since 2010, Smith will be a key.

22. Latasha Lattimore, 6-4, F, Sr., Ole Miss

After three years as a role player at Texas and Miami, Lattimore popped last season at Virginia (14.3 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.2 BPG), nearly tripling her production from 2023-24 with the Hurricanes. The Rebels' opportunity to take that next step beyond the Sweet 16 might lie with how Lattimore adjusts to the SEC and to the biggest expectations of her career.

23. Londynn Jones, 5-4, G, Sr., USC

With Watkins (injury), Kiki Iriafen (WNBA) and Avery Howell (transfer portal) out, the Trojans needed more firepower, and Jones should provide that. It also doesn't hurt that she moves over from crosstown and Big Ten rival UCLA. Jones' 8.5 points per game and 35.1% 3-point shooting were career lows last season, but she also had fewer opportunities for the deep Bruins. Those should return at USC.

24. Kate Koval, 6-5, F, So., LSU

After entering Notre Dame as the No. 5 high school prospect and beginning the year as a starter, Koval's minutes drastically diminished by the time January arrived. A fresh start in Baton Rouge might help. LSU had its share of defections, and Koval, who averaged 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds with the Irish, is now the only true post player on the Tigers' roster.

25. Avery Howell, 6-0, G, So., Washington

Already one the nation's top 3-point shooting teams (13th at 37.0%), the Huskies got stronger in that area with the addition of Howell (39.9%). She does not have the size of the departed 6-4 Dalayah Daniels, but she should still be able to replace the scoring production as Washington looks to build on its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2017.

Others considered: Breya Cunningham (Texas); Yuting Deng (Baylor); Aaliyah Guyton (Illinois); Nyla Harris (North Carolina); Amiya Joyner (LSU); Ta'Mia Scott (Alabama); Clara Silva (TCU); Haleigh Timmer (Oklahoma State); Kierra Wheeler (West Virginia)