Detailing impact that conference realignment has on women's basketball transfer portal moves

Similar to a top program looking for talent in the NCAA Transfer Portal, On3 has been acquiring some serious talent to help cover the wide world of college sports. The latest to join the team is none other than Talia Goodman, who is known for her expertise in women’s college basketball.

Speaking of the transfer portal, the activity being experienced right now by power conference programs is unlike what it has been in previous years. And one of the most significant contributors to that is the unprecedented college conference realignment that has been taking place.

When it comes to college football, there has been a noticeable trend of more players opting to transfer and join the two biggest conferences to date — the SEC and Big Ten. But are there similar waves being experienced when it comes to the women’s college basketball transfer portal? According to Goodman, absolutely. And unfortunately, there is one former Pac-12 power that finds itself on the losing end of all this conference realignment.

“You really see Oregon State struggling right now. That’s the big one,” said Goodman during a recent appearance on the Andy Staples On3 Podcast. “It’s hard. Their best players are leaving, Reagan Beers is going to Oklahoma, [and] Talia Von Oelhoffen is going to USC and joining their little super team that they have there now.”

“It’s been really a tough offseason for them. And you feel for them because they were phenomenal; I saw them in the tournament this year, and they were phenomenal and so much fun to watch. They had so much potential, and realignment just kind of ruined it for them, which just sucks. But they’re the big one that is suffering. There are a few others for sure, but they’re the big one.”

Oregon State and Washington State both experienced an unceremonious fall from grace as the Pac-12 conference imploded last year. All the other schools were able to successfully find homes with other power conferences, whereas the Beavers and Cougars now found themselves left behind. 

As Goodman highlighted, Oregon State’s women’s basketball team is in a proverbial tailspin. Three of their top players from last year’s run to the Elite Eight, the aforementioned Beers and Von Oelhoffen, and sophomore forward Tamia Gardiner, opted to jump in the transfer portal and find new homes for next season. 

Unfortunately, with more realignment expected in the near future, a similar series of unfortunate events could land in the laps of other premier programs. As Goodman pointed out, there are others this year, but none in women’s basketball have felt the sting like Oregon State has, with eight players from last season’s team opting to enter the NCAA transfer portal.