3 players Lisa Bluder can target from transfer portal before 2024 season
After back-to-back NCAA championship game losses, the Iowa Hawkeyes will come into next season with a different outlook.
Five key players from their rotation, including three starters, have wrapped up their senior year, bringing their tenure under Lisa Bluder to a close. These include the No. 1 draft pick in the 2024 NBA draft and the all-time leading scorer in college history, Caitlin Clark.
Alongside Clark, marquee names like Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall, Molly Davis and Sharon Goodman are all moving on to different roles, leaving a gaping hole for Coach Bluder to fill.
Thanks to a transfer portal with potential, Iowa can restructure its team with some incredible talent to continue its dominant run. After getting their most sought-after transfer target in Lucy Olsen, the 5-foot-9 guard out of Villanova, the team's transfer portal is already off to a strong start.
Lucy had a dominant year for Villanova. She went from 12.4 ppg in 2022–23 to 23.3 ppg last season.
But, with many big-name acquisitions still on the market, Lisa has a chance to bolster the roster further. With that in mind, here are the top three players Iowa should take in the portal.
3 players Lisa Bluder should pick for the 2024–25 season
#3. Raegan Beers (Oregon State)
The pressing concern for Iowa is the guard position, where they lost three major contributors: Caitlin, Gabbie and Martin. But, with the talent that Raegan Beers possesses, she could be a valuable addition to a new Hawkeyes attack.
Averaging 17.5 points and 10.3 rebounds on the season, Beers led Oregon State to their third Elite Eight appearance, where they ran into the eventual champions, the South Carolina Gamecocks.
With the Beavers moving to the West Coast Conference after the Pac-12's dissolution, Raegan is one of several Oregon State stars entering the transfer portal. Her 6-foot-4 frame, along with a top-10 field goal percentage in the nation this past season at 66.4%, would give Iowa a valuable commodity in the frontcourt.
#2. Deja Kelly (North Carolina)
With the portal facing a deficit at the guard position, Deja Kelly is a major name to watch out for. Averaging 16 points in each of the last three seasons, she was critical to the Tar Heels making it to the NCAA Tournament.
Her ability to draw contact is Caitlin Clark-esque, with Kelly ranking fifth countrywide at getting to the charity strip with 7.1 trips per game.
#1. Kaitlyn Chen (Princeton)
Her time at Princeton may have ended, but Kaitlyn Chen has one season of college eligibility left as she enters the transfer portal. The 5-foot-9 guard has been the best player in the Ivy League Tournament, winning Most Outstanding Player three times.
Her accolades also include an Ivy League Player of the Year Award this past season, where she averaged 15.8 points and 4.9 assists.
Aside from these names, do you think there is any other player that Coach Bluder and the Hawkeyes could target for the upcoming season? Let us know in the comments below.