Other B1G Team Notes 2024-25


Kiki Iriafen lands at Southern Cal

Kiki Iriafen, who had a breakout junior season at Stanford, is transferring to join the USC women's basketball program, she told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday.

Iriafen, a 6-foot-3 forward, will be returning to her hometown of Los Angeles after three seasons at Stanford. This season she averaged 19.4 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists for the Cardinal (30-6) who advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16. Iriafen was the Pac-12's most improved player and on the All-Pac-12 team.

She was No. 2 in ESPN's transfer rankings list
 



Talia von Oelhoffen moves to Southern Cal from Oregon State

The rich just got richer.

Two-time all-Pac-12 guard Talia von Oelhoffen, a graduate transfer from Oregon State, has committed to the USC Trojans, she told ESPN Monday.

Her move helps solidify USC's status as a national title contender in 2025, with the Trojans also adding former Stanford post Kiki Iriafen out of the portal, returning superstar JuJu Watkins and senior Rayah Marshall and bringing in the nation's top-ranked freshmen class.

"It's so exciting," von Oelhoffen told ESPN. "I mean, the sky's the limit for how good we can be... I'm super excited to take this team into the Big Ten and beyond."

The 5-foot-11 guard from Washington averaged 10.7 points, 5.0 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game this season as a key playmaker that guided the Beavers to their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2021 and third Elite Eight since 2016. No. 3 seed Oregon State beat No. 2 seed Notre Dame in the Sweet 16 before falling to eventual national champion South Carolina by 12 in the following contest.

Oregon State, which is becoming an affiliate member of the WCC in women's basketball upon the disintegration of the Pac-12, has eight players in the transfer portal.

Von Oelhoffen also considered Colorado, Kentucky and Louisville and took visits to all four schools before choosing USC for her graduate transfer season. After enrolling early amid the 2020-21 campaign, she has a fifth year of eligibility from the waiver the NCAA granted to student athletes amid the COVID-19 pandemic
 


Terps continue filling their roster

After losing Rhode Island transfer Mayé Touré to Utah, head coach Brenda Frese and Maryland women’s basketball got right back to work in the transfer portal. On Tuesday, the Terps secured the commitment of Villanova forward Christina Dalce, per her post on Twitter.

The 6-foot-2 junior hails from New Jersey and offers a similar skillset to Touré. She proved to be a relentless rebounder with the Wildcats, pulling down an average of 9.4 boards per game. Her scoring averages have also improved with each passing year, going from 1.7 points per game in her freshman season to 7.3 in her sophomore campaign to 8.3 in 2023-24. Dalce’s shooting percentages have also gone up since her freshman year (40.9 to 44.1). Notably, she averaged 2.3 blocks per game in her junior season.

At the conclusion of the 2022-23 season, Dalce was named Philadelphia Big 5 Most Improved Player and selected to the USA Basketball 2023 women’s 3x3 U21 team. Following the 2023-24 season, she was named to the All-Big 5 second team.


Maryland’s rotations should not change all that much following the addition of Dalce. She projects to slide into a forward rotation that already consists of current Terps Allie Kubek and Emily Fisher, as well as fellow transfers Isi Ozzy-Momodu and Amari DeBerry.

If the Terps can tap into the scoring potential of Dalce, in addition to her strong defensive abilities, the team’s versatility will position them to contend for a top spot in the Big Ten.
 


The Bruins add another All Pac 12 player

All-Pac-12 forward Timea Gardiner has committed to UCLA after entering the transfer portal out of Oregon State, she announced on social media Wednesday.

Gardiner, a 6-foot-3 rising junior, joins a UCLA squad that is reloading by also bringing in another former Pac-12 star in four-time all-conference guard Charlisse Leger-Walker from Washington State.

The Oregon State Beavers saw eight players hit the transfer portal this offseason. Upon the disintegration of the Pac-12, the athletic department will begin a two-year affiliate membership with the WCC for women's basketball and 11 other sports.
 



Kentucky portalist Janae Walker brings her height to Rutgers

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Rutgers women's basketball head coach Coquese Washington announced the signing of transfer forward Janae Walker Thursday morning. The Tyrone, Georgia native joins the Scarlet Knights after playing her first collegiate season at Kentucky.

Walker joins fellow transfer JoJo Lacey (Boston College) in addition to freshmen Kiyomi McMiller and Zachara Perkins as part of the incoming 2024-25 class.

"I am elated that Janae Walker has joined the Scarlet Knight family," Washington said. "Janae is a talented and versatile forward who adds size and depth to our front court. She has tremendous potential and there is no question she can be an impactful force in the Big Ten."

During her rookie season with the Wildcats, Walker played in 28 games and made one start. She netted a season-high six points and three field goals at No. 18/18 Louisville (Dec. 10), while also grabbing four rebounds three times. Walker led UK in blocks four times during the season.

The 6-foot-4 forward played at Sandy Creek High School and Hoop Dreams Athletics before her time in Lexington. She enjoyed a successful high school career, scoring 1,000-plus points. She also averaged 20.3 points and 14.8 rebounds while recording 17 straight double-doubles during her senior season.

Walker capped off an impressive campaign with a Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Region 5 Championship. In addition, she was named the GHSA Class 3A Best Rebounder, GHSA Class 3A Region 5 Player of the Year and Fayette County's All-County Player of the Year. Walker also ranked second in the state of Georgia in scoring and third in double-doubles.
 



Purdue women's basketball has added another transfer this off-season as Akron forward Reagan Bass announced her commitment to the Boilermakers on the heels of an official visit two weeks ago. She chose Purdue over interest from Iowa State, Mississippi State and others.

Bass becomes the fourth transfer pickup of the off-season for Katie Gearlds and company, joining former Marian guard Ella Collier, former Stephen F. Austin guard Destini Lombard and former UTEP wing Mahri Petree.

The former Zip forward is the most touted of the three as she was named All-MAC first team as a sophomore and All-MAC second team during her junior campaign. For her career, Bass is averaging 15.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and one block per game, while shooting 48% from the field and 77% from the free throw line. The 6-foot-1 forward is developing a perimeter shot as well, shooting a career-high 29% from three-point range on 37 attempts last season.

Bass will be a day one starter for the Boilermakers next season, replacing the now transfer portal bound Mary Ashley Stevenson at the four. Purdue was hoping to form a strong frontcourt presence with the All-MAC selection and co-B1G Player of the Year, but will now bring a veteran post into the mix.

Joining Bass at the four in West Lafayette will be junior Mila Reynolds and incoming freshman Lana McCarthy. The wing tandem of McKenna Layden and Mahri Petree could see time in the frontcourt in smaller, more athletic lineups. That leaves the duo of Alaina Harper and Kendall Puryear at the five, but Bass, Reynolds and McCarthy could all serve in that role as well.

Purdue has now added a quartet of veteran contributors to pair alongside a budding core in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers are not expected to pursue any other portal targets following the commitment of Bass.
 


Deja Kelly is a Duck

Former North Carolina star Deja Kelly has committed to the Oregon Ducks, she announced Monday. Kelly was a three-time first-team All-ACC selection with the Tar Heels, and she leaves Chapel Hill as the program's eighth-leading scorer all-time (1,851 career points).

A 5-foot-8 guard, Kelly has one year of eligibility remaining and averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists as a senior last season. Kelly was ranked No. 10 on 247Sports' women's basketball transfer portal rankings.
 


247 Sports lists its top ten transfer portal classes. It's Big Ten heavy:

1. Southern Cal with Kiki Iriafen
3. UCLA with Timia Gardiner
6. Ohio State with Ajae Perry
7. Michigan State with Grace VanSlooten
8. Iowa with Lucy Olsen
9. Maryland with Saylor Poffenbarger
 






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