When the transfer portal opened for women’s college basketball on April 6, there was always an expectation for a team to lose a player or two.
For LSU, four players entered the transfer portal, seeking new destinations in hopes of a bigger, more prominent role wherever they go. Among the four Tigers who left the program, three have already committed to new schools.
Here’s where the former Tigers will be playing basketball next season:
Jada Richard – Ole Miss
Probably the most shocking departure from the team would have to be starting point guard Jada Richard.
Last season, as a freshman, Richard saw limited playing time, averaging 2.8 points on 39.8% shooting from the field in roughly 7 minutes per game.
Heading into her sophomore campaign, the point guard spot was up for grabs, and Richard saw the opportunity and took it.
Now, with a 20-minute increase, Richard capitalized, averaging 9.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game in her second year.
It was a breakout season with big games, including a 21 point performance against Oklahoma and a 17 point performance against South Carolina in the SEC semifinals.
All signs pointed to Richard taking a bigger role with the departure of Flau’jae Johnson, especially seeing how comfortable she was this season.
However, the Opelousas native decided to take her talents to an SEC rival, committing to Ole Miss. The Rebels lost a handful of players, including senior guard Debreasha Powe and, most recently, sophomore Sira Thienou.
Similar to LSU, it left a spot at the guard position, and the Rebels decided that Richard was a perfect fit.
She’ll be joining head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. She’s found a lot of success as the coach of Ole Miss with an overall record of 149–107 (.582), including five straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
Divine Bourrage – Illinois
For Divine Bourrage, her choice to leave made sense. Out of the five freshmen on LSU’s roster, Bourrage was one of the two who didn’t play more than 10 minutes a game.
Players like Grace Knox, ZaKiyah Johnson and Bella Hines all saw significant playing time and carved out a role of their own.
Bourrage was rated as a five-star recruit, ranked No. 24 in the class and was the third highest recruit for the Tigers’ recruiting class according to ESPN.
In the 24 appearances she made this season, she averaged 9.9 minutes per game while scoring 2.1 points and 1.7 rebounds.
Being from Davenport, Iowa, the signs pointed out that Bourrage would want to go somewhere a little closer to home, and that’s exactly what she did.
“I chose Illinois because I want to grow as a player and have the chance to compete in front of my family,” Bourrage said in Illinois’ press release. “From a great relationship with the staff to mental health resources and an elite training facility, Illinois is the best place for me.”
She decided to commit to Illinois and join a Fighting Illini team that finished the season 22-12 after losing to Vanderbilt in the second round of the tournament.
Illinois was one of the three schools Bourrage considered out of high school before ultimately choosing LSU.
The Fighting Illini will be returning the majority of the roster and now adds youth and depth to the backcourt.
Bourrage will play under head coach Shauna Green, who, in her four years with Illinois, has an overall record of 85–47 (.644) and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Bella Hines – TCU
It took Bella Hines some time to find a key role with the Tigers, but when she did, she quickly became a fan favorite.
Coming out of high school, it was known that she could shoot the ball well from the outside, but it was her defense that allowed her to see more and more playing time.
Playing in 33 games, Hines averaged 13 minutes, 4.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 37.3% from the three-point line.
Her playing time fluctuated. She would find herself on the court in big games, such as South Carolina, or would play double-digit minutes in blowout victories.
On the other side of the coin, there were times when she’d play only a handful of minutes in games.
Potentially seeking a larger role, Hines entered the portal where she would later commit to TCU.
The Horned Frogs have had a lot of success recently under head coach Mark Campbell, making his program a desirable destination.
In 2025, TCU won both the Big 12 regular-season and conference tournament championship while also making the Elite Eight.
This past season, the Horned Frogs repeated as the regular-season champions but fell short in the Big 12 tournament, losing to West Virginia in the championship game.
Once again, TCU made it to the Elite Eight but lost to South Carolina.
Campbell is quickly making the Horned Frogs a Big 12 powerhouse, as in three seasons, he has an overall record of 87–22 (.798), including two consecutive 30-win seasons.
