In Southern California, Kiki Iriafen is excited to join forces with JuJu Watkins as they take on the competition in the Big Ten Conference, marking a new chapter after being rivals in the Pac-12. Iriafen, recognized last season with the prestigious Katrina McClain Award as the top power forward in women’s college basketball, made headlines with her transition from Stanford to USC, making it one of the standout moves of the offseason transfer portal. Both Iriafen and Watkins, who had an incredible freshman campaign, were among the five players named to the Associated Press’s preseason All-America team.
Their collaboration signals promise for USC, which secured a No. 3 slot in the preseason AP Top 25, trailing only national champion South Carolina and UConn. Iriafen has committed to bringing a fast-paced and energetic playing style to the Trojans, linking their approach to the showtime legacy of the Lakers in Los Angeles. “We want people to come watch us and be like, ‘Wow, this is an exciting team,’” she mentioned during a media session.
Standing at 6-foot-3, Iriafen delivered an impressive average of 19.4 points and 11 rebounds per game last season, earning honorable mention on the AP All-America team. Some of her highlight performances include a staggering 41 points against Iowa State and a phenomenal 20 rebounds in a game versus Arizona State. Now, as she teams up with Watkins, who excelled last year with a first-team All-America status, Iriafen expresses confidence in their synergy. Watkins averaged an astounding 27.1 points per game, finishing second in Division I and accumulating 920 total points, a record for a freshman. “We’re both very unselfish,” Iriafen stated, emphasizing that their chemistry stems from a shared desire for fun and victory.
In addition to the excitement surrounding USC’s new duo, several other notable transfers in women’s college basketball have made headlines this season. Georgia Amoore, now at Kentucky from Virginia Tech, ranked fourth in Division I with an impressive 6.8 assists per game last season. The 5-foot-6 guard also averaged 18.8 points per game.
Another significant transfer is Raegan Beers, who moved to Oklahoma from Oregon State. The 6-foot-4 center made her mark last season with an average of 17.5 points and 10.3 rebounds while being named to the AP All-America third team.
Liza Karlen, transferring from Marquette to Notre Dame, and Liatu King from Pitt, bring additional strength to the team’s frontcourt, which is looking to adjust without key players Kylee Watson and Maddy Westbeld early on due to injuries. Karlen, at 6 foot 2, averaged 17.7 points and 7.9 rebounds last season, while 6-foot King earned recognition as the ACC’s most improved player.
Charlisse Leger-Walker, who shifts from Washington State to UCLA, is another player to keep an eye on. The 5-foot-10 guard previously scored 1,743 points throughout her college career and showed versatility with her performance last season.
Moreover, Iowa welcomes Lucy Olsen from Villanova, who brings a scoring average of 23.3 points per game to fill the gap left by NCAA scoring leader Caitlin Clark. As for Hailey Van Lith, a dynamic player from TCU who transferred from LSU, she holds the distinguished record of being the only active Division I player with at least 1,900 career points along with other impressive statistics.
As the new season approaches, all eyes will be on these athletes as they adapt to new environments and aim to redefine their teams’ futures. Sports fans can expect a thrilling season ahead in women’s college basketball, driven by these remarkable transfers and the fresh dynamics they introduce.