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TRANSFER TRACKER: Monitoring Arkansas women’s basketball’s transfer portal activity | Whole Hog Sports

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TRANSFER TRACKER: Monitoring Arkansas women’s basketball’s transfer portal activity | Whole Hog Sports

FAYETTEVILLE — The transfer portal for women’s basketball opened March 18, and the Arkansas women’s basketball team has seen plenty of activity.

We’ll update this page as more news comes.

INCOMING TRANSFERS

Guard — Izzy Higginbottom

Higginbottom, a Batesville native, began her career at Missouri and spent the past two seasons at Arkansas State. As a junior in 2023-24, she was eighth in Division I scoring 22.2 points per game. Higginbottom led Arkansas State in scoring, assists (95), field goal percentage (46.2%), three-point percentage (36.7%) and free throw percentage (91.1%). Her 1.73 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked No. 101 in the nation.

Old school: Arkansas State

Forward — Vera Ojenuwa

Vera Ojenuwa, a 6-4 forward from Lagos, Nigeria who played at Barton (Kan.) Community College, became the Razorbacks’ second transfer addition.

She started 27 of 30 games as a freshman in 2023-24. Ojenuwa averaged 13.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, and shot 47.8% from the field, 75.5% from the free-throw line and hit 2 of 4 three-point shots.

Old school: Barton (Kan.) Community College

Guard — Kiki Smith

Smith, a 5-7 guard from Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, visited Arkansas and Texas A&M before selecting the Razorbacks.

She was the Junior College National Player of the Year last season and the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Player of the Year.

Smith was named MVP of the JUCO National Tournament. She helped lead the Hutchinson CC to a 37-0 record and the national championship. 

She averaged 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 2.2 assists per game. Smith shot 55.9% from the field, 44.4% from three-point range and 79.6% from the free-throw line.

Old school: Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College

OUTGOING TRANSFERS

Forward — Maryam Dauda

Dauda reportedly became the fourth starter from last year’s team to enter the portal. Her entry to the portal came April 25, one day after Samara Spencer.

Dauda, a 6-4 consensus five-star forward in the class of 2021 from Bentonville, had a breakout redshirt-sophomore season. She started all 33 games and averaged 10.1 points and 6.3 rebounds, while shooting 45.5% from the floor.

In a 77-59 victory at Alabama, Dauda set an Arkansas record with 10 blocked shots. She had three double-doubles and 10 games of at least 3 blocked shots.

New school: South Carolina

Guard — Samara Spencer

Samara Spencer, the SEC freshman of the year in 2022, entered the transfer portal April 24. The 5-7 guard from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., averaged 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists as a junior in 2023-24. 

She ranks 16th on Arkansas’ career scoring leaderboard with 1,368 points over her first three seasons. She is 10th on the Razorbacks’ all-time assists leaderboard with 365.

Spencer’s junior season was headlined by a 31-point, 14-rebound performance in a victory at Alabama. She scored in double figures in 26 games.

New school: Tennessee

Guard/Forward — Saylor Poffenbarger

As a redshirt sophomore in this past season, Saylor Poffenbarger averaged 10.2 and 11.2 rebounds. Her rebounding average ranked eighth in Division I and her 9.4 defensive rebounds per game ranked second. Poffenbarger led the Razorbacks shooting 32.9% from three-point range. She transferred to Arkansas in 2021 from UConn.

New school: Maryland

Guard — Taliah Scott

Arkansas standout freshman Taliah Scott announced her entry to the transfer portal the day it opened. She will undoubtedly be one of the nation’s most coveted players in the portal. Scott led the Razorbacks with 22.1 points per game but missed 11 conference games due first to a back issue and later to a family emergency. The Orange Park, Fla., native was a 5-star and the No. 11 prospect in the class of 2023 per ESPN.

New school: Auburn

Guard/Forward — Jersey Wolfenbarger 

A week prior to her junior season beginning, Jersey Wolfenbarger stepped away from the program. She entered the portal the morning it opened March 18. Wolfenbarger, a former 5-star and No. 7 prospect in the class of 2021, averaged 5.6 points and 3.8 rebounds over two seasons at Arkansas. 

New school: LSU

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