Six Remain: Women’s Basketball Faces Major Roster Turnover
When the University of South Dakota Women’s Basketball team takes the floor next season, fans may find themselves flipping through the program wondering where everyone went.
The offseason was nothing short of chaotic. With a new coaching staff at the helm and the transfer portal in full swing, the Coyotes will return just seven players from last season’s roster, with only three who saw game action.
Sophomores Olivia Kieffer and Coral Mason, as well as junior Cassidy Carson, are the only returners who logged minutes during the 2023-24 season. The rest of the returners either redshirted or didn’t play in a game.
Karly Jusczak, Ava Cossette and Ruthie Loomis-Goltl all returned as redshirt or developmental freshmen and appear to be staying in Vermillion for the upcoming season.
Grace Larkins, Sophie Haydon, Adara Groman and Alexi Hempe, are all seniors who will have graduated. As for the rest of the team, they are off to new homes via the transfer portal.
Among those transferring out are Carley Duffney, who has already announced her commitment to Green Bay and will be returning to her hometown. Addison Klosterbuer, Hannah Coons, Viki Matulevicius and Gabby Wilke are other players that have entered a portal. These four women accounted for a large share of minutes for the Coyotes this past season, and now the young core will be bringing their talents elsewhere.
Looking ahead, head coach Carrie Eighmey heads into her first full offseason at USD. The Coyotes have announced three incoming freshmen set to join the team for the 2025-26 season: Alyssa Bartlett, Brooke Jensen and Tori Schlagel.
The trio has combined for over 2,500 points in their high school careers and USD athletics notes that these recruits bring both leadership and scoring pedigree to a team that could utilize immediate contributors.
Bartlett, a point guard from Southeast Polk High School in Iowa, has led her team in assists and scoring while serving as a multi-sport athlete and team captain.
Jensen, a hometown standout from Vermillion, helped lead the Tanagers to a Class A state championship in 2024 and has eclipsed the 1,000-point mark.
Schlagel comes from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, where she holds the single-game and single-season scoring records. She also earned Minnesota Class 4A all-state honors as a junior.
The Coyotes will enter the 2025-26 season with a new look roster and, for now, limited returning experience. The empty scholarship spots will likely be filled in the coming weeks.
With seven players returning and three incoming freshmen set to join the fold, along with the potential of transfers, South Dakota’s Women’s Basketball program begins a transitional period.
South Dakota is not the only school facing this problem as multiple schools across the nation are dealing with the transfer portal, which has become a revolving door and is now the state of the game.
