The 2025 Mid-American Conference (MAC) offseason is in full swing, which means plenty of news is coming out of the transfer portal.
As of March 29, 941 women’s basketball players have entered the portal, with 16 already committing to a new school for the 2025-2026 season. 32 entries (3.4% of the portal) have come from MAC schools.
It’s no surprise that Eastern Michigan, the MAC’s last-place team, leads the conference with seven players entering the portal so far. Meanwhile, MAC champion Ball State, Akron, and Kent State have zero players in the portal as of March 29.
I will be breaking down the top 10 most impactful players that have entered the transfer portal thus far, as well as a player that their teams could pick up from the transfer portal as a replacement.
10. Keiryn McGuff – Bowling Green (Shooting Guard/Small Forward) (So.)
McGuff started the season as the Falcons starting small forward but was moved to the bench about halfway through the year because of her shooting struggles and the emergence of freshman guard Johnea Donahue.
Still, McGuff, one of four backups that Bowling Green has lost to the portal, will be missed as a quality defensive role player who averaged just under four rebounds and four points per game.
Possible Replacement: Nene Ndiaye – Boston College (Small/Power forward) (So.)
At six-foot-one, Ndiaye could easily slot in for McGuff as a rotation forward for the Falcons. She averaged 4.4 points per game coming off the bench for the Eagles and has some high-level ACC defensive experience.
9. Evyn Carrier – Western Michigan (Center) (Rs. So)
Carrier was the backup center for the Broncos this season, averaging 4.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. She was assumed to be the next starting center for Western Michigan because graduate student Lauren Audino graduated.
However, now that Carrier has transferred, the Broncos have a massive hole in the middle of their frontcourt.
Possible Replacement Quinzia Fulmore – Memphis (Power forward) (Sr.)
Fulmore will be a fifth-year senior in the 2025-2026 season because she suffered a season-ending foot injury last year. Although there are health concerns, Fulmore averaged 7.6 rebounds per game in the AAC last season, which would bode really well for her in the MAC.
8. Jaya McClure – Ohio (Point Guard) (Jr.)
McClure was a MAC All-Freshman team selection and then an All-MAC Honorable Mention her sophomore year. The Bobcats won 11 games in her sophomore year but dropped to winning only six in her junior year, in which she did not play at all due to injury.
Possible Replacement: La’Nya Foster – Austin Peay (Point Guard) (So.)
Foster averaged 11.9 points per game, 2.3 assists, and 6.9 rebounds for the Governors last season. Foster is a better rebounder and a year younger than McClure, which could give the Bobcats an upgrade in the long run.
7. Olivia Smith – Eastern Michigan (Point Guard) (Jr.)
Smith is the most high-profile of seven transfers leaving this offseason for the 2-27 Eagles, averaging a career-high 9.9 points per game last season as the sixth player.
Six of the seven transfers, including Smith, are guards, leaving Eastern Michigan with redshirt junior Olivia Westphal as the only guard left on the roster.
Possible Replacement: Nika Lokica – Idaho State (Shooting Guard) (Rs. So.)
Lokica could solve two of Eastern Michigan’s biggest problems right away: guard depth and three-point shooting. She was one of the best three-point shooters percentage-wise in the country last season, shooting 42.3 % beyond the arc.
6. Brooke Blumenfeld – Northern Illinois (Power Forward) (Rs. So)
Blumenfeld was the everyday power forward for the Huskies this season, improving from her 6.5 points per game mark as a freshman to 9.1 this year.
The biggest problem with Blumenfeld leaving is that it leaves the Huskies without a starting frontcourt player since graduate student center Brooke Stonebraker is graduating now.
Possible Replacement: Sierra Lichtie – Cal Poly (Small/Power Forward) (So.)
Lichtie was one of the best players for Cal Poly this season, averaging 11.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. She has the quickness and agility to play small forward for the Huskies but is six feet tall and could easily be the next frontcourt star in DeKalb.
5. Marina Asensio – Western Michigan (Point Guard) (Sr.)
Asensio was an All-MAC Honorable Mention this season and one of the best passers in the MAC, leading the team with 4.9 assists per game.
The Broncos starting point guard is in the transfer portal for the second time in her career after she transferred to Western Michigan from South Florida last season.
Possible Replacement: Kishyah Anderson– Presbyterian (Shooting Guard/Small Forward) (Jr.)
Anderson was one of the best all-around players for Presbyterian last season, averaging 15.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Although she wouldn’t play point guard for the Broncos, she would give them valuable rebounding and playmaking ability, something that they lacked all season.
4. Lexi Carlsen – Northern Illinois (Shooting Guard) (Fr.)
NIU’s head coach, Lisa Carlsen, resigned earlier this month from her coaching duties in DeKalb. Shortly after, her daughter Lexi entered the transfer portal.
Lexi was a MAC All-Freshman team selection after ranking second in the MAC in three-point %. Her shooting ability will surely be missed by Huskies fans and NIU will need to find someone to replace her defensive ability as well.
Possible Replacement: Katie Davidson – IU Indy (Shooting Guard) (Sr.)
Davidson led the Jaguars with 19.4 points per game this season, shooting an outrageous 50.2 % from the field and a career-high 46.9% from three-point range.
Davidson previously played in the MAC as a member of the Miami Redhawks from 2021-2022. It wouldn’t surprise me if she moved up further to a power-four conference team but NIU would be able to fit her perfectly into the three-and-D spot left by Carlsen.
3. Jess Lawson – Central Michigan (Shooting Guard) (Sr.)
Lawson is an enormous loss for the Chippewas for two reasons. First, she was arguably the best rebounding guard in the MAC, averaging 9.0 rebounds per game. Secondly, she was a lead veteran presence on a team otherwise led by underclassmen.
Possible Replacement: Vera Ojenuwa – Arkansas (Power Forward/Center) (So.)
Ojenuwa averaged 6.2 rebounds per game in the SEC as the Razorbacks’ power forward this season. She is nine inches taller than Lawson and should be able to complement freshman power forward Ayanna-Sarai Darrington well on the offensive side of the ball.
2. Lexi Fleming – Bowling Green (Shooting Guard) (fifth-year)
Fleming played for five years and scored over 1,000 points while in a Falcon uniform. Now, she enters the transfer portal for her sixth season of collegiate basketball.
Fleming was an All-MAC Third Team selection this season, scoring 13.5 points with 3.4 rebounds per game.
Possible Replacement: Jess Lawson – Central Michigan (Shooting Guard) (Sr.)
Lawson to Bowling Green is my one and only MAC-to-MAC replacement pick on this list. Lawson gives Bowling Green veteran leadership, a scoring threat and a rebounding improvement.
Although Lawson is good enough to play for a power-four conference team, I’m not sure if she’ll get the chance because of her five-foot-seven frame. Because of this, a MAC relocation could very well be up in the air.
1. Enjulina Gonzalez – Miami (Point Guard) (So.)
Gonzalez will be in her third school in three years after playing for Mercer for her freshman season and Miami for her sophomore year. The Redhawks’ star sophomore guard is the only First-team All-MAC selection to enter the transfer portal so far.
Gonzalez averaged 16.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game for Miami, making her one of the most valuable transfers in the country, regardless of conference.
Possible Replacement: Maggie Hartwig – Evansville (Power Forward) (So.)
With Gonzalez gone, Miami could turn its attention to building around their breakout sophomore forward Amber Tretter. At six-foot-one, Hartwig would be a phenomenal building block to do so.
Hartwig averaged 16.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game for Evansville which would give Miami two double-double threats in their frontcourt for potentially the next three seasons.
