New homes: The 15 Aussie women in transfer portal

• The NCAA transfer portal runs for 30 days and closes on April 22 (US time)
• The transfer portal first came into college basketball in October 2018
• At least five Aussie men also entered the portal this season

While the 2025 Final Four tips-off this weekend, there’s plenty of eyes already looking ahead to next college season, with the transfer portal open for business and more than 1000 players looking to change schools for the 2025/26 NCAA women’s basketball season.

There’s movement everywhere, and Australians are in the thick of it, with some of our best looking for a fresh start. In total, there’s 15 Australian women currently in the portal and that may rise as time goes on.

Mia Jacobs (Fresno State University) - Junior

Clearly the best Australian prospect in the transfer portal, Mia Jacobs took her game to the next level this past season, averaging a double-double of 18.3 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and 1.8 assists per game. She was one of only five players in the nation to average at least 18 points and 10 rebounds, highlighting her standing as someone who will be highly sought after in the portal.

She’s a great long-range shooter and stretches the floor for her teammates. Against San Jose State in February, Jacobs went off from deep, hitting six triples on her way to a dominant 36 points, 11 rebounds and 4 steals.

She’s going to have plenty of schools chasing her services.

Last-Tear Poa (LSU) – Senior

A 2023 National Champion with LSU, is on the move. After three years with the Tigers, she has been granted another year of eligibility and could be a great recruit for a school needing a defensive-minded guard.

Her minutes dropped from 20 per game in 2023/24 to just 13 in 2024/25 as she couldn’t find regular minutes on a team that made the Elite 8.

Tess Heal (Stanford University) - Junior

After two standout seasons at Santa Clara University, Tess Heal made the move to the prestigious Stanford University this past season but it’s fair to say the season didn’t go as planned for the Cardinal as they failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987.

She’s now looking for a new school, and while her play wasn’t eye-catching at Stanford, what she was able to do at Santa Clara the two years prior proves she is a great college player. In her final season at Santa Clara, she averaged 19.5 points, 4.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds.

The major positive at Stanford was her three-point shooting, hitting a ridiculous 49.3% from deep.

Jada Crawshaw (Long Beach State University) - Sophomore

After two seasons at Long Beach State University, Jada Crawshaw is looking to start a new chapter. She averaged 10.4 points, 4.8rebounds and 1.6 assists per game this past season and had back-to-back 20-point games in mid-January as she really found her groove.

With a lot of upside, Crawshaw is capable of playing a role on a good squad.

Zoe Shaw (St Bonaventure) - Freshman

It was a tough initiation for Zoe Shaw in her freshman season as St Bonaventure struggled mightily, finishing with a 6-22 record, including an 11-game losing streak through January and February.

For all the struggles as a team though, Shaw could hold her head up high, averaging the second-most points on the team (11 per game), third-most rebounds (3.9) and led the way in assists (2.2) as she started in all 30 games. She played under 30 minutes just twice all season and as a freshman, that’s a great effort.

In December and January, Shaw had 12 games in a row scoring in double figures, highlighted by a 22-point outing against Fordham in a close 51-49 loss.

Lily Carmody (Butler) - Freshman

Lily Carmody had a promising freshman season at Butler. She started in 14 games for the Bulldogs and averaged 24 minutes per game, highlighting her importance to the team.

Perhaps the best game of her season was in early January against St. Francis where she did it all, finishing with 18 points (3-from05 from three), seven rebounds, six assists and four steals. Carmody is a great prospect and I’m excited to see where she lands next.

Emilee Tahata (Rider University) - Junior

Emilee Tahata made the move to Rider University this past season after two years at La Salle and is on the move again.

Tahata started on eight occasions for the Broncs, averaging 5.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 17 minutes per game. Rider struggled to chalk up wins, finishing with a 7-22 record.

Georgia Cox (Eastern Illinois) - Freshman

Georgia Cox played sparingly for the Panthers in her freshman season, suiting up in 18 games, but showed great flashes of potential throughout.

Her 18 points in 10 minutes of game time against Morehead State in late January was an insight into the player she could become as she knocked down 5-from-5 from deep in a high-class shooting display. Despite being unable to really crack Eastern Illinois’ strong rotation, she should have suiters right across the US.

Ella Brow (SMU) - Junior

Ella Brow has spent three years at SMU and is on the move for her senior year. In 14 games played, Brow averaged 6.1 points, 2.7 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game.

Jemma Amoore (Sacramento State University) - Freshman

Jemma Amoore found it tough to break into the rotation in her freshman season at Sacramento State. She played double-digit minutes on three occasions as the Hornets finished seventh in the Big Sky Conference with a 15-18 record.

Alice Dart (Washington State) - Freshman

Alice Dart played on 22 occasions for Washington State as a freshman, averaging five minutes per game. The Cougars finished third in the WCC Conference with a 21-14 record

Holly Dolny (Loyola Chicago)  - Freshman

Holly Dolny played seven games for Loyola Chicago and will be looking for a new school for her sophomore season. The Ramblers went 13-17 to finish 12^th in the A-10 Conference.

Adout Ring (Presbyterian)  - Junior

In her first season at Presbyterian, Adout Ring couldn’t find rotation minutes, playing eight games as the team went 6-24 to finish eighth in the Big South Conference.

Jaime Gallatly (Southern Miss) - Freshman

Jaime Gallatly played 11 games for the Lady Eagles in her freshman season. Southern Miss finished with a 10-21 record, which left them 13^th in the Sun Belt Conference.

Manuela Piljevic (University of Albany) - Freshman

In a strong Albany squad, freshman Manuela Piljevic was unable to make inroads into the rotation, playing in seven games as the Great Danes finished first in the America East Conference with a 26-7 record.

About the Author

Hayley Wildes is passionate about all things Australian women’s basketball and loves to highlight the stories of players from all levels and competitions across the globe. From our own backyard in the WNBL, to the WNBA and the Opals, and everything in between, Hayley has you covered.