With the transfer portal closed, many players have decided to go to the next destination, which team will emerge from the most chaotic part of the offseason at its best?

Some coaches re-create plans entirely through transfers. Others supplement target needs. Both approaches are on the list of top 10 winners in the transfer portal.

Famous people who go to the portal and choose the next school – Ta'niya Latson, Olivia Miles, Cotie McMahon, Milaysia Fulwiley – have had a big impact on these rankings and the landing of these teams.

Winning the transfer portal doesn’t necessarily translate into a winning championship, but more than half of the sweet 16ers this year are made up of teams that rely heavily on transfer games.

Which teams may find success in 2026?

Janiah Barker, UCLA, f
His Robertson High School, G
Jersey Wolfenbag (LSU)

Lady Vols added three high-end rotation players to a roster that already has most of its core defenders. The depth and versatility that Kim Caldwell has will be greater in 2026. Barker started her career at the SEC, starting the season with the Bruins in two years with Texas A&M. She brought a power element to Tennessee’s frontcourt that could be part of Caldwell’s three-point shooting barrage. Robertson is a full-game scorer that should fit into Tennessee’s press system, and Wolfenbarger adds more edge protection and rebounds to a 6-foot-5 player to run.

Mississippi, G Denim Dieshilds
Desrae Kyles, Central Michigan
Latasha Lattimore, Virginia
Cotie McMahon, Ohio State University, F
Jayla Murray, Wichita State University, F
Kaitlin Peterson, UCF, G
Debreasha Powe, Mississippi, G
Thompson, Georgia Tech, G

With the Rebels' season over the end of just 16 sweet 16 and five major players qualifications, Ole Miss has been reshaped. Yolett McPhee-McCuin adds seven players to the portal, a diverse team that should give Ole Miss another chance in a competitive SEC season and in-depth NCAA tournament. McMahon is the headlines that can be paired with rising sophomore Sira Thienou, forming a great duo on both ends of the floor. Lattimore made a huge stride in Virginia’s year to provide some internal scores, while Murray and Peterson brought some periphery offense to the Rebels.

Let's come to Rutson, Florida, G
Madina Okot, Mississippi, C

Like the season that won the SEC and entered the NCAA Championship this season, they lacked in two areas: a reliable scorer and a daunting marginal protector. Both requirements are addressed on the portal. Losing Milaysia Fulwiley Stings, but Ratson is not just an offensive escalation. She is the most productive defender Dawn Staley once owned in Colombia and led by scoring in 2024-25. 6-6 OKOT showed a huge growth in Mississippi State’s year, which is probably the defensive spoiler that all of Staley’s best teams have.

Milaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina, G
Amiya Joyner, East Carolina, F
Kate Koval, Notre Dame, C

If the Tigers haven't lost six players to the portal, that ranking will be even higher. However, Louisiana State is still leading the way. Fulwiley (2023) and Koval (2024) are the top 15 recruits in their respective classes. With postal players Sa'myah Smith, Jersey Wolfenbarger and Aalyah del Rosario leaving, Koval will have plenty of room and minutes to live up to billing that she can't do in a year with the Irish. Fulwiley's arrival has two benefits: She gives coach Kim Mulkey a more dynamic defender drama, while her departure from South Carolina weakens the depth of Louisiana State's chief rival. Joyner will have to adapt to the SEC competition, but has been in the AAC for three years.

Kennedy Basham, Arizona, C
Olivia Miles, Notre Dame, G
Taliyah Parker, Texas A&M, G
Veronica Sheffey, San Diego, G
Clara Silva, Kentucky, C
Marta Suarez, California, f

The season’s recipe works for Mark Campbell, who will work again through another transfer portal. Miles offers the group an opportunity to match the 34-win elite eight seasons, the Horned Frogs just owned. Her ball handling, passing, excellent transitions and improved shooting make her perfect for Campbell’s system. Suarez is a big wing at 6-3 and a willing shooter, and Sheffey should have benefited a lot from the Miles game. 6-7 How much improvement has been made in Silva’s substitute role in Kentucky in the year will be the key to TCU’s short-term and long-term success.

Yarden SAR, Indiana, G
Gracie Merkle, Penn State University
Oluchi OB.

Since the advent of the transfer portal, no coach has used it to reshape her team as quickly as Brenda Frese. She lost the Shyanne Sellers pillar to the draft and immediately won Garzon. Just as Allie Kubek chose to leave, Merkle entered the program. Sarah Te-Biasu got a successful season in VCU's Terps and then came to Okananwa to fill the spot. Gasson's 6-3 height, coupled with her point guard and shooting skills, will make her the heart of Maryland's offense, even better than the offense of the Big Ten's second-highest scoring team.

Faith Acker, Tarleton State, C
Achol Akot, UCF, F
Tyla Heard, oral Roberts, g
Haleigh Timmer, South Dakota, G
Amari Whiting, BYU, G

The Cowgirls are one of the surprise teams for the 2024-25 season, but Jacie Hoyt has been filled with some holes. She just did it on the portal. Whiting and Timmer should fit well with Micah Gray and Stailee, now a deep and talented backcourt that can be played with her sister Tyla now. Akot offers some missing scale and familiarity with Big 12. All of these in the group have years of qualifications except Timmer.

Ella Brow, SMU, G
digh the uburns, g
Kierte Yoruston, Oklahore, F
Kiera Pemberton, North Dakota, f
Taliah Scott, Auburn, G

Scott jumped from Auburn to Baylor early in the transfer portal window, and the Bears will be her third team in three years. If healthy, Scott is the firepower Baylor needs after four of the Bears’ top five scorers. Nicki Collen added Auburn defender to Deng Xiaoping, who may be Baylor's wildcard throughout the offseason. Deng Xiaoping showed glory as the Tigers point guard, but after joining the team in the middle of the season, she only participated in 12 games. One of the Summit League’s best players, Pemberton is a sophomore, an unparalleled but important portal acquisition and a complete rebuild of Baylor’s backcourt.

Skylar Jones, Arizona, G
Reyna Scott, Oklahoma, G
Laura Ziegler, Saint Joseph, f

Ziegler upgraded the Cardinal to the top 10. She is an internal scorer that Jeff Walz hasn't had in the past few seasons. The ACC will bring new challenges, but her production should eventually be close to the level of 20 doubles this season with the Hawks. Jones should help offset the losses of leading scorer Jayda Curry. Scott will get more chances than Oklahoma State and adds backfield depth at that point Imari Berry and Tajianna Roberts on the wing.

Anaya Brown, Tennessee-Martin, F
Grace Hall, Pennsylvania, f
Jzaniya Harriel, Stanford, G
Elise Hill, Tulsa, G
Legal Jah, Arizona, G
Zahra King, California, G
Paulina Paris, Arizona, G
Mailien Rolf, Arizona, G
Tyi Skinner, Arizona, G
Ayanna Thompson, Ole Miss, F

SMU decided that some changes needed to better participate in the ACC and brought Adia Barnes from Arizona to take over the program. Then she changed herself. There is no plan (10 players) to get more (10 players) than the Mustangs on the portal. The result is a brand new team. Barnes will have former Wildcats at Jaha, Paris and Rolf early next season. Harriel and King spent a year at the ACC to help teammates like Brown, who led Ut Martin to score and rebound while Hill adapted to the new environment.

Honorary mentions: Illinois Fight Illini, Virginia Knights, Miami Hurricane