Menu
What's new
By:
Filters
AllBuffs | Unofficial fan site for the University of Colorado at Boulder Athletics programs

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • Prime Time. Prime Time. Its a new era for Colorado football. Consider signing up for a club membership! For $20/year, you can get access to all the special features at Allbuffs, including club member only forums, dark mode, avatars and best of all no ads ! But seriously, please sign up so that we can pay the bills. No one earns money here, and we can use your $20 to keep this hellhole running. You can sign up for a club membership by navigating to your account in the upper right and clicking on "Account Upgrades". Make it happen!

'25-'26 WBB Thread (Recruiting, General News, Etc.)

MarkW

Well-Known Member
Time to start a thread related to WBB recruiting, general news, etc.

At some point I'll create a chart that shows all the comings and goings.

In the short term, here are links to articles from the BDC's Brian Howell on JR's portal thoughts, etc. -

Women’s basketball: Solid group of returners could lead rebuilt CU Buffs in 2025-26 ​

I don't share Howell's optimism on returnees. They really need to add a lot of talent to have a shot at the NCAA tourney.

Women’s basketball: Roster overhaul underway for CU Buffs​

JR states they are pretty much only going after guards in the portal as the incoming class and returnees have a lot forwards.
 
Ms. O'Connor has been formally announced as a Buff.

OFFICIAL welcome and congrats to her!




Article - https://cubuffs.com/news/2025/4/21/womens-basketball-buffs-add-gonzaga-transfer

"

Buffs Add Gonzaga Transfer​

Claire O’Connor joins Colorado for 2025-26

By: Seth Pringle, Athletic Communications

BOULDER – Head coach JR Payne added to Colorado's shooting prowess on Friday, announcing the addition of former Gonzaga guard Claire O'Connor.

O'Connor spent the last two seasons in Spokane, averaging 4.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 64 career games. She has two years of eligibility remaining.

"We are very excited to have Claire joining our squad next season," Payne expressed. "Claire brings a tremendous amount of experience with one of the winningest programs in the country. She can flat-out shoot it and is a great rebounder from the guard spot. Her love for the game is evident in the time she pours into her craft."

The Bellevue, Wash., native started 29 of the 34 games she played in last season. She had a career-high 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting, including four 3-pointers in the Zags' 81-53 win at Pepperdine. O'Connor recorded 10 or more points on 10 occasions last season, averaging 7.7 points per game.

O'Connor had her first career double-double with a 19-point, 10-rebound performance against Rice. She had five or more rebounds in eight games last season.

Last season, O'Connor shot 41.7% from the field and 40.8% from 3-point range. She totaled 261 points and hit 49 shots from long range. The 6-foot guard also snagged a career-best 118 rebounds and handed out 42 total assists.

O'Connor was a West Coast Conference All-Academic selection, as well as a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree in 2024-25.
...
"
 
And it looks like the team has its 2nd transfer commit. She is 5'11" G Zyanna Walker, who'll be coming to Boulder from conference-mate KSU. Like Ms. O'Connor, she's listed as a sophomore, so hopefully the Buffs will have her talents for a couple years. She averaged 8.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while starting in all 36 of KSU's games this past season. Per the KSU roster page linked to below, she was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team (the only underclassman named to the team), so must also be great on that side of the court.

Welcome and congrats to her!




Her KSU roster page - https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/zyanna-walker/11859

Her ESPN page with season stats, etc.) - https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4565512/zyanna-walker
 
AztecBuff said:
And it looks like the team has its 2nd transfer commit. She is 5'11" G Zyanna Walker, who'll be coming to Boulder from conference-mate KSU. Like Ms. O'Connor, she's listed as a sophomore, so hopefully the Buffs will have her talents for a couple years. She averaged 8.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while starting in all 36 of KSU's games this past season. Per the KSU roster page linked to below, she was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team (the only underclassman named to the team), so must also be great on that side of the court.

Welcome and congrats to her!




Her KSU roster page - https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/zyanna-walker/11859

Her ESPN page with season stats, etc.) - https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4565512/zyanna-walker
Click to expand...

I'll take an all-conference defensive player any time we can get em. Go Buffs
 
Brian Howell said they were not going to go after post players too much as they like who they have and who is coming in. I am not sure I feel the same. I also wonder if people think they need to find a scorer. Seems like there are many games the buffs struggle to score 70. I think they need to have more offense to score more consistently and not have long droughts of awful offense
 
JR commented on X that O'Connor is a shooter. We definitely need more offense. I don't think the offense ever jelled into a system last season. Some, but not all of that, was due to injuries.

We are badly outsized in the middle. We can't stop a player like Audi Crooks.

Hopefully these players can hit free throws.
 
I did notice on X that K State fans were not happy with losing Walker and some said some not very nice things to her. I hope she didn't read them.

I don't like it when players transfer but I will not troll them on SM
 
Just a calendar note - per a social media post by heavy WBB media contributor Talia Goodman, today is the last day this season*** WBB players can put their names in the transfer portal.

(I was curious, and did find http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/eligibility_center/Transfer/DIUG_Windows.pdf that corraborates what she wrote. Note that it lists the dates for ALL NCAA sports, which helps me out a lot since I was curious about the Olympic sports.

***Per another source ( https://www.si.com/college/purdue/b...beginning the day after the coach's departure.) , there is one exception to the various dates listed where, if there's a coaching change, there is a 30 day window after the coach leaves where team members may put their names in the portal irregardless of the date. (Looks like this exception may be applicable for ALL sports.?.)

The above link also says "Additionally, student-athletes who will be graduate transfers can enter the transfer portal at any point during the academic calendar year, but must be entered by the final day of the transfer window.")
 
Talia Goodman has made the distinction on coaching changes and grad students.

She also said over 1500 athletes have entered the portal. That was before midnight last night and she said some athletes may not have announced they were in the portal by yesterday.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top