AUSTIN, Texas – Texas women’s basketball is set to lose another member of last year’s roster to the transfer portal, as junior wing Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda will enter the transfer portal, as first reported by Talia Goodman of On3.
Mwenentanda ends her Texas career appearing in 103 games (18 starts) over three seasons, having averaged 4.6 points and 2.3 rebounds per game for Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer.
The Sioux Falls, S.D. native, who leaves with one season of eligibility remaining, made a career-high 37 appearances last season while starting 15 times.
In 17 minutes per contest, Mwenentanda had career highs in all major statistical categories, averaging 5.6 points and 2.9 rebounds.
Mwenentanda found herself in the starting lineup following a senior forward Aaliyah Moore’s knee injury, which paved the way for the Mwenentanda to see increased minutes – helping Texas make a Final Four run.
A four-star recruit in the class of 2022 per ESPN’s rankings, Mwenentanda played in 66 games with three starts over her first two seasons with the program.
Following Moore’s injury, Mwenentanda responded by giving the Longhorns valuable minutes and a sizable presence as a player who can see time as both a guard and forward. She scored a career best 19 points against Illinois in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
However, Mwenentanda was benched twice during the season, most notably prior to Texas’ 65-58 home win over No. 5 LSU on Feb. 16
“It was a decision we made,” Schaefer said following the victory “We won’t go into why I made it, but it was made in shootaround today.”
While Schaefer declined to specifically say where Mwenentanda would come off the bench and play nine minutes in the win, he praised true freshman Justice Carlton, who started in her place, noting that Carlton was “earned the opportunity by being on time to shootaround.”
Mwenentanda is the third member of the Final Four team to enter the transfer portal after junior guard Jordana Codio and sophomore center Abbie Boutlier. Texas has landed 6-foot-4 Arizona forward Breya Cunningham and 6-foot-6 center out of Florida Atlantic, Lovisa Asbrink Hose.
What is the NCAA transfer portal?
The portal is an online database where players will enter their names if they decide to pursue a transfer. Players notify their current school’s compliance office that they wish to put their name into the portal — typically, players’ names show up within 48 hours. Coaches can access the database and contact any player who has entered.
When will the transfer portal open?
Technically, players can enter the transfer portal at any time. But unless they do so within their sport’s official “windows,” they will have to sit out one season. College basketball’s portal window opened on Monday, Mar. 24, during the NCAA Tournament. It will remain open for 30 days, closing at the end of the day on April 22, 2025.
