Building the future: 15 transfer targets for Mizzou WBB

With nan transportation portal officially opening connected Monday, caput coach Kellie Harper has nan opportunity to conception a roster to return Mizzou to its first NCAA Tournament since nan 2018-19 season. But pinch respective cardinal departures done graduation and nan portal itself, nan Tigers person to beryllium strategical pinch nan players they are bringing into nan program.

I person combed done nan apical and bottommost of nan transportation portal, uncovering nan 15 players who person connections to nan area and/or person nan talent that tin return Mizzou to nan adjacent level. Here’s nan afloat breakdown regarding immoderate of nan apical players successful nan portal and why they’d beryllium a cleanable fresh for Harper’s program:

Kicking disconnected this database is simply a Jailyn Banks, representing nan Missouri Valley Conference from Belmont. Banks has spent nan past 3 seasons pinch nan Bruins, averaging 15.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists arsenic a junior. She scored a career-high 26 points connected 2 abstracted occasions (against Drake and Illinois State).

The MVC has a plethora of connections to this coaching staff, pinch Harper coaching now her assistants Liza Fruendt and Kenzie Kostas astatine Missouri State. This unit knows nan Valley amended than almost anyone successful nan nation, and that will surely salary disconnected erstwhile it comes to nan portal.

Alright I’m technically going to cheat and see an other player, but it’s difficult to divided up nan copy duo of Elauni and Emani Bennett. The duo are from Lee’s Summit, playing nan erstwhile 3 seasons astatine Kansas City. The duo has mixed for 27 points and 11.7 rebounds per crippled this past season.

Elauni did nan immense mostly of her harm astir nan rim, shooting 58.1% from nan field. Emani was rather nan opposite, making 44 threes astatine a clip of 37.9%. The 2 mixed for 32 points erstwhile they faced Mizzou, taking nan Tigers to overtime successful Columbia.

I person a sneaking suspicion nan Bennetts will want to walk their elder play together, and Harper should see bringing them backmost to their location authorities arsenic cardinal scoring options.

Another standout action is Cassie Gallagher from USC Upstate. She is coming disconnected a sophomore play wherever she averaged 20.8 points connected splits of 41/40/76. She group her career-high backmost successful November, scoring 35 points against Morehead State pinch nan thief of 7 threes.

Gallagher is simply a Tennessee native, meaning she is apt already connected Harper’s radar. While Gallagher isn’t arsenic overmuch of a high-level passer aliases rebounder arsenic immoderate members of this list, her earthy scoring expertise makes her a cleanable campaigner for Harper’s 3-point centric offense.

The MVC continues its practice connected this database successful nan shape of Indiana State’s Tierney Kelsey. She spent her first play astatine Jackson State earlier transferring to nan Sycamores earlier past season. With Indiana State she averaged 15.6 points while shooting 36.9% from nan field.

Kelsey put connected a show successful her past crippled pinch nan Sycamores, scoring 46 points successful nan MVC Quarterfinal against Murray State. She is besides a Tennessee autochthonal (Memphis specifically), serving pinch a ample magnitude of ties to existent players and unit connected Mizzou.

The adjacent 1 connected nan database is simply a chap Missouri autochthonal Raegan McCowan. Originally from Lebanon, Missouri, she has spent nan past 3 years astatine Western Illinois. As a sophomore she averaged 22.3 points and 7.9 rebounds connected splits of 46.5/34.6/79.7. She was good connected her measurement to different spectacular twelvemonth arsenic a junior, pinch splits of 17 points and 6.4 rebounds. But aft 10 games she was sidelined for nan remainder of nan play pinch an elbow injury.

She has nan expertise to people astatine will, scoring 35 points connected 3 abstracted occasions arsenic a sophomore. But McCowan’s career-high came arsenic a freshman, scoring 45 points against Southern Indiana. McCowan played against Mizzou erstwhile nan Tigers came up to Macomb, Illinois, successful 2024-25, pouring successful 27 points while grabbing 7 rebounds.

Her scoring expertise positive size for a defender makes her a cleanable fresh for nan SEC.

The 3rd defender connected this database is Mariyah Noel from Xavier. Noel spent nan past play pinch nan Musketeers aft transferring successful from Ole Miss. This alteration of scenery helped her flourish, starting 28 games while averaging 14.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

Her champion crippled came against St. John’s, scoring a career-high 30 points while grabbing 9 boards and dishing retired 5 assists connected splits of 60/50/91. Noel is primitively from nan Kansas broadside of Kansas City, meaning Mizzou would beryllium overmuch person than her 2 erstwhile schools.

The adjacent typical connected this database is Evansville’s Camryn Runner. The defender spent 2 years pinch nan Purple Aces, averaging 18.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists connected shooting splits of 42/30/84.

The Indiana autochthonal scored a career-high 36 points successful a nonaccomplishment against Drake wherever she added 8 rebounds and 9 assists. This benignant of talent arsenic a scorer, rebounder and passer is difficult to find pinch immoderate different subordinate successful nan portal and would make her a cleanable summation to nan roster.

Another subordinate to watch is Naomi White from Northern Arizona. White is primitively from Omaha, uncovering a plethora of occurrence pinch nan Lumberjacks successful her freshman year. She averaged 20.8 points on pinch 5.3 rebounds pinch splits of 39/37/79.

One crippled that stood retired from this past play was a 37 constituent capacity against Weber State. In her 2 games against Weber State this season, White averaged 34 points arsenic a existent scorer. Between her scoring expertise and size arsenic a imaginable two-guard, she is simply a imaginable cleanable fresh for nan Mizzou starting lineup.

The last defender connected this database is Jada Williams from Iowa State. Williams spent her first 2 seasons astatine Arizona earlier joining nan Cyclones this past season. What makes nan 5-foot-8 defender specified an absorbing action for Mizzou is her ties to nan area, primitively from KC (on nan Missouri side).

In her 1 twelvemonth astatine Iowa State, Williams averaged 15.3 points and 7.7 assists pinch splits of 42/30/81. Her champion capacity came against Cincinnati, pouring successful 44 points and 8 assists while shooting 15-22 from nan field. As 1 of nan champion players successful nan portal, bringing Williams backmost to Missouri should beryllium 1 of nan apical priorities for Harper and her staff.

Kicking disconnected nan database of bigs is Anete Adler from Boston. The Estonia autochthonal played her freshman twelvemonth earlier transferring to Boston wherever she has spent nan erstwhile 3 seasons. She has 1 play of eligibility remaining.

This past play Adler averaged 15.4 points and 6 rebounds connected 50% from nan section for nan Terriers. She scored 33 points doubly successful nan past 4 games, erstwhile against American and different successful nan play finale against Navy. At 6-foot-5 she would beryllium a cleanable lucifer for nan size and physicality of nan convention and should beryllium adjacent nan apical of Mizzou’s list.

The only existent SEC subordinate connected this database is Jenna Lawrence from Arkansas. Originally from Australia, Lawrence averaged 7.4 points and 3.6 rebounds pinch nan Razorbacks this past season. She has spent nan past 3 years successful Fayetteville and will person 1 twelvemonth of eligibility remaining.

Her champion crippled from this past play came erstwhile she scored 26 pinch 5 made threes against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. However she struggled successful nan 2 games she played against Mizzou, averaging 2.0 points and 8.5 points. But her 2 years spent alongside existent Tigers adjunct Todd Schaefer intends nan relationship is already location if Mizzou has nan interest.

Another powerfulness transportation to watch is Purdue’s Lana McCarthy. She has spent nan past 2 seasons pinch nan Boilermakers and will person 2 years of eligibility remaining.

As a sophomore she averaged 7.8 points and 4.7 rebounds. She recovered her hit towards nan extremity of nan year, averaging 14 points and 6.7 rebounds crossed Purdue’s last 3 games. McCarthy played alongside erstwhile Tiger Jayla Smith successful 2024-25, truthful Mizzou is apt already connected her radar.

One of nan biggest names successful nan portal erstwhile it comes to forwards is Gracie Merkle from Penn State. She spent 1 twelvemonth astatine Bellarmine earlier transferring to Penn State for nan erstwhile 2 seasons. She has 1 twelvemonth of eligibility remaining.

As a inferior Merkle averaged 19.2 and 8.2 rebounds pinch nan Nittany Lions. She scored a whopping 39 points against a Princeton squad which made nan NCAA Tournament. Merkle is 1 of nan champion forwards successful nan portal and would instantly go a unit to reckon pinch successful nan SEC.

The powerfulness convention inclination continues pinch UCF’s Khyala Ngodu. The Florida autochthonal has spent nan erstwhile 3 years astatine UCF, but will usage her last twelvemonth astatine different school.

Ngodu averaged 10.8 points and 7 rebounds successful her last play pinch nan Knights. Her champion crippled this play came against Arizona, dropping 22 points and 13 rebounds for an awesome double-double. Averaging double-digits successful nan SEC is tough, but Ngodu has some nan size and accomplishment to execute that arsenic a forward.

Last but surely not slightest connected this database is Kira Reynolds from UT-Arlington. She burst onto nan segment arsenic a freshman, averaging 13 points and 7.9 rebounds pinch nan Mavericks.

Arguably her champion crippled came successful a 21-point, 16-rebound capacity against Utah Tech successful nan First Round of nan WAC Tournament. Not only is Reynolds talented, but she has 3 years of eligibility remaining which could make her a cardinal portion of nan Tigers’ future.