Top 5 transfer portal targets for Lindsey Gottlieb as USC looks to replace Kiki Iriafen
USC's March Madness run is over, and so is Kiki Iriafen's college career. The star forward spent the past season with the Trojans after three years at Stanford. Iriafen started in every game for USC and helped lead her team to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and a run to the Elite Eight.
Lindsey Gottlieb's squad has another forward in freshman Vivian Iwuchukwu but will be losing one of its key playmakers.
In her sole season at USC, Iriafen averaged 18.0 points and 8.4 rebounds and was named a third-team All-American. The Trojans will need another high scorer with rebounding success to aid JuJu Watkins when she returns from her torn ACL.
Let's look at who USC should target in the transfer portal to take Iriafen's place.
Top 5 transfer portal targets for USC to replace Kiki Iriafen
#1, Laura Ziegler
After three seasons at St. Joseph's, Ziegler has entered the transfer portal. The Denmark native was a three-year starter for the Hawks and is exactly the type of player USC needs.
As a junior, Ziegler led St. Joseph's in points, rebounds, assists and blocks, proving herself as a dominant two-way power forward. Her 17.4 ppg are just shy of Iriafen's 18.0, and she outrebounds the Trojans star with 10.4 rpg.
Iriafen is a better shooter, but Ziegler finds more success from beyond the arc. Ziegler also offers a skill that Iriafen lacks. She's an admirable playmaker, averaging 4.3 assists per game as compared to Iriafen's 1.8.
Ziegler has been St. Joseph's star for three seasons and would make for a solid star at USC.
#2, Vera Ojenuwa
Ojenuwa is coming off of a solid sophomore campaign at Arkansas in which she led the team in rebounding with 6.2 per game. While this value doesn't live up to Iriafen's 8.4 average, it would be a welcome addition at USC with the star gone.
The Nigerian player started at forward for the Razorbacks this season and averaged 6.2 ppg while shooting 44.7%. Ojenuwa averaged 30.4% from 3-point range this season, an increase from Iriafen's 28.6%.
Like Iriafen, Ojenuwa can serve as a two-way player, having averaged 0.7 steals and 0.7 blocks as a sophomore. The Trojans would have to develop Ojenuwa for her to live up to Iriafen's performance, but Ojenuwa could be a good addition to USC.
#3, Lilly Meister
Meister is another forward looking for a new home. She has spent all three seasons of her college career thus far at Indiana and appeared in 33 games as a junior, including 17 starts.
The biggest thing Meister brings to the table is her shooting ability. This season, she shot 51.8%, second-best on the team. However, Meister is not a consistent 3-point shooter, which may be her downfall in being picked up by USC.
Meister played an average of 17.2 minutes per game this season and recorded 6.7 ppg and 3.5 rpg. Similar to Ojenuwa, this is a player that would need to hone her skill set, but I wouldn't count Meister out.
#4, Fatima Diakhate
Georgia is losing its starting forward to the transfer portal. Diakhate is leaving the Bulldogs after two seasons. As a sophomore, she started in 28 games and averaged 22.9 minutes.
Diakhate has one key skill that USC needs — rebounding. The Senegal native averaged 5.0 rpg this season. She's also a defensive force, having led Georgia in blocks with 0.7 per game.
The Georgia star is not a 3-point shooter and also averages just 5.3 ppg, meaning she wouldn't be the perfect replacement for Iriafen. However, she shows potential and could be a promising pickup to add depth at the forward position.
#5, Edessa Noyan
Noyan is a promising forward in the transfer portal. In her sophomore season at Virginia, she averaged 4.3 rpg and added 5.7 ppg.
The Sweden native is an admirable defensive contributor and could aid USC from beyond the arc, having shot 32.8% from 3-point range this season. Her field-goal shooting needs work, as does her scoring average. This is another power forward who may not exactly replace Iriafen but could still be a potential fit for the Trojans.