Transfer rankings: All eyes on Kneepkens, Williams

Chaos reigns over college basketball for the month that the transfer portal is open. But once it closes and the dust begins to settle, a new picture emerges of what next season will look like. With a few exceptions, most of the top transfers have made their decisions where they will play in 2025-26, and we can begin to make sense of what the landscape will be when practice begins again in October.

The most recent news of MiLaysia Fulwiley choosing LSU following her departure from South Carolina took one more top player off the board while at the same time injecting a little more juice into the Gamecocks-Tigers rivalry.

The top three players from the previous rankings -- Ta'Niya Latson, Olivia Miles and Cotie McMahon -- had already made their commitments, but two more -- Gianna Kneepkens and Serah Williams -- are still available. Both are good enough to possibly change the race to Phoenix and the Final Four. The portal has already altered the status of programs such as Maryland, Ole Miss, Tennessee and TCU.

With the portal officially closed, we take one final look at ESPN's transfer rankings and the top 25 players on the move for next season.

Rankings as of April 30

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FSU's: Ta'Niya Latson: 'I still have a lot to accomplish'

Ta'Niya Latson recounts her journey to Florida State and some of her most impactful games for the Seminoles.

1. Ta'Niya Latson, 5-8, G, Jr., Florida State Seminoles

Committed to South Carolina Gamecocks

As good as the Gamecocks have been under Dawn Staley, they have never had a backcourt scorer of Latson's caliber. During this past season's runner-up finish, no Gamecock averaged more than 12.7 points per game. Now Staley has a guard who averaged nearly twice that in Latson, whose 25.2 PPG led the nation in 2024-25. Her move from the Seminoles to the Gamecocks gives South Carolina a whole new look and altered the races in the ACC, SEC and for the national championship.

2. Olivia Miles, 5-10, G, Sr., Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Committed to TCU Horned Frogs

Not only did Miles turn down a chance to potentially join the Seattle Storm as the second pick, she is also moving on from both the Irish, whom she helped to three Sweet 16 appearances, and a chance to pair with Hannah Hidalgo for another season. After losing four starters, Mark Campbell needed to reconstruct his roster, and Miles is biggest building block to a lineup that now also includes Marta Suarez (Cal), Clara Silva (Kentucky) and Taliyah Parker (Texas A&M). An ankle injury slowed Miles in the NCAA tournament, but her first year back from an ACL tear resulted in a career-high average of 15.4 points as well as 5.8 assists per game, which ranked 15th in the country.

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Olivia Miles' best plays of the season

Take a look back at Olivia Miles' best plays this season for Notre Dame after committing to TCU.

3. Cotie McMahon, 6-0, F, Jr., Ohio State Buckeyes

Committed to Ole Miss Rebels

The power and physicality of McMahon's game might be built for the SEC, and she should fit well into coach Yolette McPhee-McCuin's system. McMahon is the lead talent on a roster that has already been remade after losing four starters. Latasha Lattimore (Virginia), Jayla Murray (Wichita State), Kaitlin Peterson (UCF) and Tianna Thompson (Georgia Tech) will all play key roles in the Rebels' effort to stay in the top half of the SEC, but none is more important than McMahon, whose game got a big boost from improved 3-point shooting (38.6%) this season with the Buckeyes.

4. Gianna Kneepkens, 6-0, G, Jr., Utah Utes

The highest-rated transfer yet to pick a new home, Kneepkens could be a game changer if she lands with one of the country's top programs. Players with her ability to score and shoot so efficiently are in limited supply. After a broken foot cost her the 2023-24 season, Kneepkens rebounded to have the best year of her career. She averaged 19.3 points and shot 50.4% from the field, 44.8% from 3-point range and 89.0% at the free throw line. Kneepkens has never shot below 38.4% from 3-point range in her college career.

5. MiLaysia Fulwiley, 5-10, G, So., South Carolina Gamecocks

Committed to LSU Tigers

The Gamecocks-Tigers rivalry just took on a new element with Fulwiley's decision to hop from Columbia to Baton Rouge. Her inconsistency cost her minutes at South Carolina, but with LSU looking for a playmaker and one more scorer to join Flau'jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams, Fulwiley might be given more latitude with the Tigers. Her 11.7 points per game ranked second at South Carolina despite coming off the bench in all 39 games. That is where she might have remained for another year with the Gamecocks. With Raven Johnson returning for another year and Latson joining the Gamecocks, Fulwiley's path to a starting job might have once again been blocked.

6. Serah Williams, 6-2, F, Jr., Wisconsin Badgers

Committed to UConn Huskies

Williams transferring to UConn will have plenty of influence on next season's top five rankings. Williams leaves Madison as one of the best players in Badgers' history. She was a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection this season, averaging 16.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, but Wisconsin finished 14th in the Big Ten and the Badgers never finished above 10th in league play in her three seasons.

7. Yarden Garzon, 6-3, G, Jr., Indiana Hoosiers

Committed to Maryland Terrapins

Garzon was the foundation to another good portal season for Terps coach Brenda Frese. Garzon becomes the replacement for Shyanne Sellers as a big guard who can play the point or on the wing. Garzon is a good passer with a high basketball IQ who makes the Terps an even better 3-point shooting team. They shot 36.1% from beyond the arc this past season, and Garzon, Indiana's all-time leader with 220 makes from behind the arc, never shot below 40% from 3-point range in her three seasons with the Hoosiers.

8. Janiah Barker, 6-4, F, Jr., UCLA Bruins

Committed to Tennessee Lady Vols

After two years at Texas A&M and one with the Bruins, Barker is back in the SEC where she should add a physical presence to the up-and-down style of the Lady Vols. Barker was a No. 1 option with the Aggies and then learned to be a role player with the UCLA, averaging just 17.5 minutes and 7.4 points but reaching a Final Four. Her addition, plus Nya Robertson (SMU) and Jersey Wolfenbarger (LSU), could help Tennessee get there in 2026.

9. Sa'Myah Smith, 6-2, F, So., LSU Tigers

Committed to Virginia Cavaliers

Of the four players the Tigers lost to the portal, Smith is the most impactful but is a huge gain for the Cavaliers, who need an inside presence to team with the perimeter play of Kymora Johnson. By season's end Smith was flourishing, fully recovered from the knee injury that cost her most of the 2023-24 season. Smith averaged 13.8 points and 10.3 rebounds in four NCAA tournament games, including two double-doubles. Already a defensive game changer at the rim, Smith appears to have her best years ahead.

10. Dani Carnegie, 5-9, G, Fr., Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Committed to Georgia Lady Bulldogs

After winning ACC Sixth Player of the Year as a freshman in Atlanta, Carnegie is moving 73 miles east to Athens. Georgia coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson needs a rebuild after going 25-37 over the past two seasons, and Carnegie is the headline addition. Abrahamson-Henderson also brought in transfers Vera Ojenuwa (Arkansas) and Rylie Theuerkauf (Wake Forest).

11. Oluchi Okananwa, 5-10, G, So., Duke Blue Devils

Committed to Maryland Terrapins

This is one of the most surprising portal entries in this transfer cycle. Okananwa was a key to Duke's late-season success that included an ACC tournament title and run to the Elite Eight. Despite never starting a game for the Blue Devils, Okananwa was a key contributor to Duke's stifling defense and was the ACC tournament MVP after averaging 16.3 points and 6.7 rebounds. Now she brings that defensive element to the Terps' backcourt and makes Maryland a top-15 team.

12. Tonie Morgan, 5-9, G, Jr., Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Committed to Kentucky Wildcats

With the retirement of coach Nell Fortner, the Yellow Jackets have suffered a mass exodus as seven players entered the portal. Carnegie, Morgan and Kara Dunn were Georgia Tech's three best players, and are all moving on. Morgan was third in the ACC with 5.6 assists per game and becomes the replacement Kenny Brooks desperately needed for Georgia Amoore.

13. Ra Shaya Kyle, 6-6, C, Sr., Florida Gators

Committed to Miami Hurricanes

Kyle's improvement was steady once she reached Florida. Kyle, who spent the first two years of her career at Purdue, was the Gators' second-leading scorer (14.1 PPG) and finished in the top six in the SEC in rebounding (8.7 RPG) and field goal percentage (59.4%). With Kyle as her top addition, second-year coach Tricia Cullop has overhauled the Hurricanes' roster with six portal additions.

14. Kiyomi McMiller, 5-8, G, Fr., Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Committed to Penn State Lady Lions

The numbers -- 18.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game -- were outstanding. But McMiller was suspended in early January for a week, returned for seven games and then didn't play another game for the Scarlet Knights after Feb. 6. With her electrifying offensive talent and three years of eligibility, McMiller could inject life into a Lady Lions program that lost eight players to the portal.

15. Kate Koval, 6-5, F, Fr., Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Committed to LSU Tigers

The No. 5-rated prospect coming out of high school, Koval had an uneven freshman season. A starter to begin her brief Irish career, Koval averaged 5.3 points per game and played more than 20 minutes in a game just twice in the final three months of the season. It's unclear whether Koval's move to Baton Rouge saved LSU from other losses or precipitated them, as Tigers post players Smith, Jersey Wolfenbarger and Aalyah Del Rosario have all entered the portal.

16. Iyana Moore, 5-8, G, Sr., Vanderbilt Commodores

It appears Shea Ralph will keep her top two scorers in Mikayla Blakes and Khamil Pierre, but Moore, the Commodores' third-best point producer at 12.4 per game, plans to play her final season elsewhere. Moore was also second on the team at 2.7 assists per game. Consistency was her hallmark all three years at Vanderbilt, and she can be a steadying veteran for a team in need of a starting combo guard.

17. Kara Dunn, 5-11, G, Jr., Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Committed to USC Trojans

With JuJu Watkins' status for next season uncertain and five players leaving the program, Lindsay Gottlieb had some urgency to find help in the portal. Dunn should provide just that. She was the Yellow Jackets' leading scorer at 15.5 points per game and grabbed an impressive 5.8 rebounds per game from her guard spot. Dunn is a good finisher at the rim and has a solid midrange game but is not a playmaker. While improved, Dunn's 3-point shooting is still not a strength.

18. Taliah Scott, 5-9, G, So., Auburn Tigers

Committed to Baylor Bears

Health is the biggest question for Scott as she heads to her third school in three years. If she's able to stay on the court, her offensive talents should be a big boost to the Bears, who are losing four of their top five scorers. A wrist injury kept Scott out of all but three games with the Tigers this season, and she was unable to finish her freshman year at Arkansas. Scott's 21.2 scoring average has come in just 23 games over those two seasons.

19. Latasha Lattimore, 6-4, F, Sr., Virginia Cavaliers

Committed to Ole Miss Rebels

Coming off the momentum of a highly productive season, Lattimore is joining her fourth school (Texas, Miami, Virginia). McPhee-McCuin might be getting her at the right time. Lattimore went from 5.6 points per game in 2023-24 at Miami to averages of 14.3 points and 8.2 rebounds this season at Virginia. She now joins McMahon to form a frontcourt that is potentially more productive than the one that just led Ole Miss to the Sweet 16.

20. Londynn Jones, 5-6, G, Jr., UCLA

Committed to USC Trojans

The Bruins lost their entire freshman class and Barker to the portal, but Jones was the biggest surprise and possibly the most damaging to UCLA's hopes of making a return trip to the Final Four. And it might hurt the Bruins even more that Jones is merely going across town to their biggest rival. She now teams with Dunn to give Gottlieb a pair of double-digit-scoring guards. Jones was the Bruins' fourth-leading scorer at 11.8 points per game and their leader in 3-pointers made and attempted.

21. Breya Cunningham, 6-4 F, So., Arizona Wildcats

Committed to Texas Longhorns

After making big strides as a sophomore, Cunningham moves to Austin to help replace Taylor Jones. Her scoring (7.7 PPG to 11.0 PPG) and rebounding (4.7 RPG to 7.0 RPG) improved from her freshman to sophomore seasons, but Cunningham's defense will have to get better to ensure her playing time under Vic Schaefer.

22. Marta Suarez, 6-3, F, Sr., California Golden Bears

Committed to TCU Horned Frogs

After getting lost a bit in her first two seasons at Tennessee, Suarez found more opportunity with Cal and took advantage. Her 12.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game were career highs, and those numbers have a chance to climb even higher now that Suarez will be receiving passes from Miles.

23. Jada Williams, 5-8, G, So., Arizona Wildcats

Committed to Iowa State Cyclones

The Cyclones needed a point guard to replace Emily Ryan and secured one in Williams. While she lacks Ryan's efficiency and reliability as a perimeter shooter, Williams (12.7 PPG, 2.9 APG, 29.2% 3FG) will give Iowa State more explosiveness and someone who can push tempo. The main job in Ames is still to get the ball to Audi Crooks in the post and make sure Addy Brown has good scoring opportunities. If Williams executes in those areas, this will be a big get for Bill Fennelly. She has two more years of eligibility.

24. Avery Howell, 6-0, Fr., USC Trojans

Committed to Washington Huskies

The Huskies were one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country last season (37.0%) with Elle Ladine and Sayvia Sellers leading the way, and now Tina Langley has added another threat. Howell (7.5 PPG), whose decision to leave USC still qualifies as one of the more surprising portal moves, made 39.9% of her 3-pointers and scored 18 points twice in the NCAA tournament, her best two-game stretch of the season.

25. Laura Ziegler, 6-2, F, Jr., Saint Joseph's Hawks

Committed to Louisville Cardinals

The Hawks' best player the past two seasons, Ziegler had 20 double-doubles and two triple-doubles this season and was one of the country's best defensive rebounders. She does most of her work in the paint but can make the occasional 3-pointer. Her experience and production could make her an interesting addition as a role player at a major conference school. The Cardinals haven't had a true post scoring threat in a few years, so Ziegler will have a chance to shine.

Others considered: Madina Okot (Mississippi State Bulldogs); Aaliyah Guyton (Iowa Hawkeyes to Illinois Fighting Illini); Clara Silva (Kentucky Wildcats to TCU Horned Frogs); Gracie Merkle (Penn State Lady Lions to Maryland Terrapins); Nyla Harris (Louisville Cardinals to North Carolina Tar Heels); Haleigh Timmer (South Dakota State Jackrabbits to Oklahoma State Cowgirls); Ta'Mia Scott (Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders); Nya Robertson (SMU Mustangs to Tennessee Lady Vols); Kierra Wheeler (Norfolk State Spartans to West Virginia Mountaineers)