Jason Burgos
The women’s college basketball transfer portal got its biggest addition this week when Iowa State star Audi Crooks revealed she is entering college basketball free agency to “explore what it means to take root again in new ground.” Which is code for getting one last big payday in her final year of eligibility.
Over her three seasons with the Cyclones, Crooks became one of the best players in program history and emerged as one of the sport’s premier scorers. Finishing second in the country in 2025-26 with 25.8 points a night.
Crooks is a dominant force, with her bull in a China shop style in the paint, and is sure to have many big-time suitors in the transfer portal. With that in mind, we look at six potential landing spots for the star junior.
UCLA Bruins
After a big win over Texas on Friday night, UCLA coach Cori Close is on the cusp of bringing the women’s basketball program its first national championship. However, her team will be gutted, win or lose, after the championship game, with several stars heading to the WNBA.
Close will need to quickly rebuild to keep the Bruins in tournament contention. Going after Crooks to fill the void left by the exit of top star Lauren Betts makes a ton of sense.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
There has already been early buzz that Minnesota could be a top suitor for Audi Crooks in the transfer portal. Coach Dawn Plitzuweit has turned the Golden Gophers into a powerhouse in the Big Ten and got the program to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in eight years this month. Splurging on the Iowa State star in the portal and trying to leap into title contention next season would be a smart risk for the program.
LSU Tigers
LSU’s Kim Mulkey is one of the top coaches in college basketball and has already declared she plans to go into the transfer portal to improve her roster for next season. Crooks could definitely be a priority to push the Tigers back into Final Four contention in 2026-27. The idea of Audi Crooks and MiLaysia Fulwiley teaming up next season should terrify SEC rivals.
Iowa Hawkeyes
Coach Lisa Bluder and Caitlin Clark turned the women’s basketball program into the glamour team at Iowa. Jan Jensen has done a good job of maintaining the standard, but she needs more big guns. Especially since she will lose star forward Hannah Stuelke to graduation this spring.
Luring Crooks away from their in-state rivals would be a major coup for the Hawkeyes program and give them a new scoring machine like Clark.
UConn Huskies
After having the best team in basketball all season, Geno Auriemma didn’t handle a chance at another repeat for UConn going down the tubes well after falling to South Carolina in the Final Four. He has never been a fan of the transfer portal. However, that bitter loss could motivate him to make a big splash this spring. Especially since they will lose several key players after this season, including forward Serah Williams.
TCU Horned Frogs
Mark Campbell has turned TCU into an elite program in the Big 12 after back-to-back seasons with 32 or more wins. However, they are set to lose some elite players from the program this year, including star forward Marta Suarez. The university has shown a consistent willingness to spend in the transfer portal. Going after a top scorer in the nation would help maintain the Horned Frogs’ new standard as a top program in women’s college basketball.
