Wild & Crazy Portal Speculation - 2026

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RetroVol

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#1
I asked several AI's this morning about portal speculation for 2026. Here's what Grok had to say:

Based on extensive searches across web sources and X (formerly Twitter), there is surprisingly limited public speculation or rumors about top women's college basketball players potentially entering the transfer portal following the 2025-26 season.
Click to expand...

I don't know about you, but I consider this a complete and total failure by fandom on a national basis. If we are not engaging in wild speculation and rumor mongering, what is our purpose in life? As always, I feel it is incumbent upon Tennessee to lead the way in this vital aspect of women's basketball. Thus, this thread.

I personally think we should focus on potential portal transfers for Tennessee and leave the lesser beings to their own pursuits, but never let it be said that I tried to limit the wild crazyness of participants in this forum!

Speculate away!
 
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#2
#2
Should anyone want to stay slightly hinged (I am not recommending this), ChatGPT suggested these triggers that frequently prompt players to enter the portal:

High-probability transfer portal triggers

• Head coach fired or leaves
Portal spikes routinely follow coaching carousel moves.
(Widely documented by ESPN.com and other national outlets.)

• Role compression
Elite player loses minutes or usage due to freshmen, incoming transfers, or a scheme change.

• NIL market mismatch
Star player at a mid- or low-NIL program coming off a big season draws major-brand or collective interest.

• Postseason disappointment
Team underperforms relative to expectations; player seeks a clearer path to deep tournament runs.

• Injury / rehab + fit
Player looks for a better medical staff, recovery environment, or system better suited to their game.
 
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#3
#3
AND... I looked through NCAA statistics for tall Fr or So players who ranked high for dbl-dbl, rebounds, or blocks who MIGHT join "Big Oh" to fill the holes that are going to be left by Janiah and Zee. Then I gave them to ChatGPT to create a "Bigs Portal Watchlist." For your speculative amusement:




BIGS PORTAL WATCHLIST – Speculative (6'3"+ Targets for Tennessee) (UPDATE: Madison Francis)

Note on Madison Francis: She’s listed at 6'2" (so she misses the 6'3" cutoff), but she plays like a frontcourt “big” and her block rate is absurd, so she belongs on the watchlist anyway. ([ESPN.com][1])

PlayerSchoolHtPosGPMPGPPGRPGAPGBPGFit w/ CaldwellPortal Triggers
Me’Arah O’NealFlorida6'4"G/F1924.513.47.41.41.7Hybrid 4 potential; runs, rebounds, scores without playsRole clarity, team ceiling, NIL leverage
Lauren WhittakerGonzaga6'3"F1826.619.69.91.10.5High-motor scorer/rebounder; more 4 than 5Power-conf exposure, NIL jump (otherwise unlikely)
Uche IzojeSyracuse6'3"C1725.213.48.61.52.9Excellent rim protection; sprint-and-recover profileDefensive anchor opportunity, winning upgrade
Alyssa KoerkenmeierSaint Louis6'6"C1825.09.68.41.32.3SEC-ready rim protector; plays in bursts wellClassic mid-major → high-major move
Elodie LutbertTarleton St.6'6"C1418.19.66.00.51.9Projectable size/blocks; pace adaptation neededPlatform upgrade, development resources
Elsa LemmiläOhio State6'6"C1621.86.96.11.61.8Runs floor, defends rim; minutes-dependent fitRotation volatility, role squeeze
Clara SilvaTCU6'7"C1723.210.48.11.21.8True size + production; pace/foul mgmt keyFeature role, blue-blood interest
Raevin WashingtonDuquesne6'5"F1616.04.94.40.51.7Energy defender; developmental offensive fitUp-level opportunity, clearer pathway
Lara SomfaiStanford6'3"F1824.09.99.40.80.8Elite rebounder; spacing/speed questionsCulturally unlikely, but role/season outcome driven
Madison FrancisMississippi State6'2"F1828.313.17.41.43.1Elite fit on defense: rim protection travels (3.1 bpg). In Caldwell pace, she’d be a terror as a sprinting 4 who blocks shots, rebounds, and finishes early offense.Low likelihood unless a major trigger hits: coaching/staff change, NIL/market escalation, or role conflict. A freshman producing like this typically stays put if happy.



[1]: Madison Francis - Mississippi State Bulldogs Forward - ESPN "Madison Francis - Mississippi State Bulldogs Forward - ESPN"

Quick Take:
• Best system fits: Izoje, Koerkenmeier, Silva
• High-ceiling gambles: Lemmilä, Lutbert
• Hybrid options: O’Neal, Whittaker
• Low-probability but intriguing: Somfai

This is pure early-cycle speculation — real clarity comes after conference tournaments and coaching/NIL dominoes fall.

Madison Francis – Fit/Portal Reality Check:
• The numbers are loud: 13.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.1 bpg in 28.3 mpg (18 GP). That block rate is “game plan changes because of her” territory. ([ESPN.com][1])
• For Tennessee: she profiles less like a traditional post replacement and more like a Caldwell-style chaos big—run, rotate, contest, rebound, repeat.
• But: freshman stars rarely portal without an external shove. If she’s unhappy, it’ll leak through minutes/role comments, staff turnover, or an obvious NIL arms race—otherwise this is more “fun to talk about” than “probable.”
 
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#8
#8
ONeal is going to be a solid two year player for Florida or someone else. She has a lot of development left and if she gets in the portal I can see her being a huge target of a lot of teams.

Francis of Miss St I think has a strong probability of being a portal player. She is another player that fits us well.

The portal opening may be moving forward to April 8th no official word yet just speculation that they want to move it to begin after the NCAA Tourney.
 
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#10
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RetroVol said:
I personally think we should focus on potential portal transfers for Tennessee and leave the lesser beings to their own pursuits, but never let it be said that I tried to limit the wild crazyness of participants in this forum!
Click to expand...
Excellent topic! Wild crazyness is highly undervalued. We need far less reasoning, a serious reduction in factual evidence and an asymptotic avoidance of logic. Therefore I applaud your fine efforts on the supply side.

And now…on to the other side of the coin—what will these talented Portalettes seek in a nesting place?

The obvious #s 1A and 1B are current and likely short-term future results. Final 4 teams look more appealing than Round of 32 exit takers.
In a close second place in this gilded age, we have Sacks of Loot, Big Bucks, and Filthy Lucre, in no particular ordure, erm, I meant order. Family values, friendly culture and other quaint anachronistic phluph be damned! Show me the Benjamins!

Also, too, as well, to temper the glorious promises of the recruiters, is the recruiting team's record of treatment of past Portalers. Playing time! Playing time! Playing time!
and skills progress and and and Movement into the Pros, here and abroad.

Ceteris paribus, a bigger pile of gold will carry the day for most disgruntled wanderers.


IMG_3348.jpeg IMG_3351.jpeg

 
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#12
#12
RetroVol said:
I asked several AI's this morning about portal speculation for 2026. Here's what Grok had to say:



I don't know about you, but I consider this a complete and total failure by fandom on a national basis. If we are not engaging in wild speculation and rumor mongering, what is our purpose in life? As always, I feel it is incumbent upon Tennessee to lead the way in this vital aspect of women's basketball. Thus, this thread.

I personally think we should focus on potential portal transfers for Tennessee and leave the lesser beings to their own pursuits, but never let it be said that I tried to limit the wild crazyness of participants in this forum!

Speculate away!
Click to expand...
IMG_7471.gif
 
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