Iowa State Basketball Stars Highlight Top Women’s Basketball Transfer Class Rankings

There were a lot of talented players on the Iowa State Cyclones women’s basketball team during the 2025-26 season. 

Unfortunately, they weren’t able to put it all together on the court. A midseason swoon was never recovered from, with an early exit in the Big 12 tournament being followed by a defeat at the hands of the Syracuse Orange in the Round of 64 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

When the season concluded, nine out of 12 players on the team decided to enter the transfer portal. Only Arianna Jackson, Evangelina Paulk and Freya Jensen are returning to Ames for the 2026-27 season.

That was a lot of talent to depart, with former Cyclones ending up on different teams around the country. Some of them were part of the best transfer classes in women’s basketball, with players ending up at three of the top 10-ranked transfer classes from Talia Goodman of On3 (subscription required).

Audi Crooks, Addy Brown, Jada Williams featured in best transfer classes

Coming in at No. 1 in her rankings are the Oklahoma State Cowgirls. They landed the crown jewel of this year’s transfer portal cycle, securing a commitment from former Iowa State star Audi Crooks.

She will be forming a new dynamic duo with Liv McGill, a transfer from the Florida Gators. Expectations are on the rise in Stillwater, adding two of the best players who were available in the transfer portal to help rebuild a roster that had nine players hit the portal.

Having to face off against Crooks and McGill on the Cowgirls is a brutal turn of events for the Cyclones.

A little further down the list is the UCLA Bruins. The defending champions needed a strong transfer portal cycle with six of their players being selected in the 2026 WNBA Draft, and they achieved that.

One of their biggest additions is Addy Brown. The former Iowa State standout battled injuries last season but is an impact player on both ends of the floor when healthy. She is one of four players who averaged double-digit points last season who the Bruins landed in the portal.

Also featured on the list is the LSU Tigers. They successfully recruited point guard Jada Williams, who spent one year in Ames after playing the first two seasons of his collegiate career with the Arizona Wildcats.

LSU comes in at No. 7 in the rankings. They took a quality over quantity approach, bringing in three players: Williams, Laila Reynolds and Chloe Larry, who can all be immediate, impact producers.

See how sought after the former Cyclones were on the transfer portal, making this past season’s shortcomings all the more disappointing.

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