The Oregon State Beavers women’s basketball team has defied the odds this season, rewriting their narrative after a tumultuous offseason that saw them lose all of their top five scorers to the transfer portal. After what many considered a dramatic collapse, the team managed to win the West Coast Conference tournament. This remarkable turnaround sets the stage for their participation in this year’s NCAA Tournament, beginning with a first-round matchup against North Carolina.
Last year’s starters included standout players who have taken their talents to various programs across the country. AJ Marotte, the only original starter who remained at Oregon State, has helped lead the Beavers to a 19-15 record. This season, Marotte averages 11.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, contributing significantly to the team’s success. The Beavers earned their NCAA bid after a stunning upset of Gonzaga and Portland in the West Coast Conference tournament.
Meanwhile, Raegan Beers, who transferred to Oklahoma, has shined for the Sooners. This season, she has earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors while averaging 17.5 points and 8.9 rebounds. The Sooners, ranked eleventh in the final AP poll, reached the NCAA Tournament and are set to face Florida Gulf Coast in the opening round.
Talia von Oelhoffen made her way to Southern California, where she has started 30 games for a new team that earned a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. This season, von Oelhoffen has averaged 6.0 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, contributing to USC’s success, alongside similarly impressive statistics from Timea Gardiner, who moved to UCLA and is averaging 7.5 points and 3.7 rebounds.
Donovyn Hunter transferred to TCU, where she has gradually increased her role on the squad. The 2023-24 Pac-12 All-Freshman Team member is now averaging 5.6 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.6 rebounds for a team that won the Big 12 Tournament and is a strong contender as a number two seed.
Players leaving the Beavers have found a home and continued to thrive, a pattern seen across many teams during the transfer portal era, where athletes often transition to multiple programs over their careers. For instance, former standout Georgia Amoore, who excelled at Virginia Tech, is now playing for Kentucky, bringing her championship experience to her new team. In March Madness last season, she averaged 22.6 points in five tournament games during Virginia Tech’s Final Four run. Her prowess on the court hasn’t diminished; this season, she maintains a scoring average of 19.1 points and ranks third in Division I in assists per game.
Kaitlyn Chen, after a successful stint at Princeton where she consistently scored in double figures in NCAA Tournament games, is now with UConn and remains a valuable player for the Huskies as they gear up for their matchup against Arkansas State.
Another player, Kiki Iriafen, has made a significant impact at USC after transferring from Stanford, showing her scoring prowess with an impressive 18.2 points and 8.3 rebounds average this season. Iriafen will play in the opening round against UNC Greensboro.
Deja Kelly is another former Tar Heel who now plays for Oregon, helping them aim for a deeper run in this year’s tournament after averaging 11.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.
Hailey Van Lith is quite the story herself, transitioning between three programs over her collegiate career, now teaming up with TCU after previous stints at Louisville and LSU. Last season, she was the reigning Big 12 player of the year and has kept her performance high, averaging nearly 18 points while also contributing in assists and rebounds.
As for other transfers that illustrate the evolving landscape of women’s college basketball, Kayla Williams transferred to California, where she has stepped into a starting role—a significant shift from her limited action in her previous season at USC.
Notably, while Oregon State continues to make headlines for their recent resurgence in the NCAA Tournament, the transition of their former stars poses a compelling narrative. Each of them, now thriving at varied programs, showcases the depth and complexity of women’s college basketball as it navigates an era defined by the transfer portal, which has fundamentally altered how athletes manage their careers.
This weekend will mark a crucial moment for all teams, but especially for those with former Beavers on their rosters as they aim for glory in the NCAA Tournament. Will Oregon State's new era prove fruitful against North Carolina? And how will the transfers fare in their respective matchups? Anticipation builds as the tournament unfolds, promising thrilling moments and remarkable basketball.
