Basketball
Wisconsin Women’s Basketball Loses Pair of Badgers to Transfer Portal
A pair of Badgers have gone portaling.
The transfer portal for men’s and women’s college basketball opened earlier this week and the Wisconsin Badgers were not immune from a few defections already.
On Monday, a pair of Badgers backup bigs entered their names into the portal as UW prepared for their first postseason game in a decade.
Wisconsin Women’s Basketball Loses Pair to the Portal Prior to WNIT
Tessa Towers, a 6-foot-5 sophomore out of Batavia, Ill., was the first to put her name in the portal and, while it’s disappointing, it certainly isn’t surprising. She played in three games as a freshman and only one as a sophomore, totaling 10 minutes of playing time across the four appearances, so there didn’t seem to be a spot in the rotation for her at UW.
After careful thought and discussions with my loved ones and mentors, I’ve decided to enter the transfer portal with 3 years of eligibility left. pic.twitter.com/2T4AfKGiUp
— tessatowers (@tessatowers1) March 18, 2024
She noted as much in a social media post announcing her intent to transfer, saying, “I aim to find a program where I can have a greater impact, enhance my skills, and contribute to team success.” Towers was thankful to “the Wisconsin Women’s Basketball team and the entire Badger community for their understanding and support,” which could be in regards to her decision to transfer but could also be alluding to last season when she took a leave of absence from the team in December for personal reasons. If I’m understanding eligibility rules correctly, Towers could have as many as three years left since she hasn’t officially redshirted yet.
The other post player to put her name into the portal is 6-foot-4 redshirt sophomore Sacia Vanderpool out of Byron, Minn. Vanderpool participated in Wisconsin’s Senior Day ceremony this year due to graduating early. I am unclear as to where this leaves her eligibility wise, but she’ll have at least one season of basketball left in college.
#Badgers WBB players in transfer portal so far:
– Tessa Towers, C, 6-foot-5, 3 years remaining (source: herself)
– Sacia Vanderpool, F, 6-foot-4, 2 years remaining (@goodmansport first, confirmed to me by a source)— Badgers Ball Knower (@BadgersBallKnow) March 18, 2024
Vanderpool appeared in five games, earning the start on Senior Day this season, and scored six points and grabbed two rebounds in her UW career. Vanderpool didn’t post anything on social media (that I saw), but Talia Goodman had Vanderpool’s name on her invaluable transfer tracker and I was able to confirm with a source that she was in the portal.
With Serah Williams firmly entrenched as a 30-minute per game player in the post, and Marisa Moseley seemingly unwilling to use an actual post player as a backup, it isn’t shocking that Towers and Vanderpool are choosing to explore other options. The Badgers will need to hit the portal themselves (and would’ve had to regardless of Towers and Vanderpool leaving the team) to find a post player (or two) to fill out their roster for next season.
We wish Tessa and Sacia the best as they search for a new college basketball home and hope they find success at their next stops.
Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read our work at BadgerNotes.com. For more Wisconsin Badgers Basketball and Big Ten content, follow us on Twitter & Facebook. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also follow Drew Hamm on Twitter @DrewHamm5.
Also, be sure to check out our shop, subscribe to our newsletter, and the BadgerNotes After Dark podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. Because of your support, we have become one of the fastest-growing independent media outlets focused on giving a voice to the fans!
-
Basketball3 days ago
Wisconsin Basketball Transfer Heads to Long-Rumored Destination
-
Basketball2 days ago
Wisconsin Basketball Coach Breaks Silence on Outgoing Transfers
-
Basketball12 hours ago
Wisconsin Basketball Lands Talented Transfer Point Guard From the Portal
-
BB Recruiting3 days ago
Wisconsin Basketball Recruit Seeks ‘Place That Feels Like Home’