Adia Barnes hire already paying off in transfer portal

[Webmaster]

The Dallas Morning News and On3's Talia Goodman reporting three transfers:
• Grace Hall 4-star F from Penn State and LSU
• Jzaniya Harriel 4-star G from Stanford
• Mailien Rolf G from Arizona

All the details here:
https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/smu-mustangs/2025/04/06/smus-hiring-of-adia-barnes-already-paying-off-in-transfer-portal/

Also... Three more Arizona women’s basketball players enter transfer portal, and may be headed to SMU.

[highlander]

nice!!!

[ritarivas89]

Let’s give our new AD credit here too. We were looking at Harriel before Coach Barnes but we couldn’t afford her. Evan’s got women’s basketball a million bucks to recruit (so I’ve heard). We were recruiting with both arms behind our back last year.

Can’t wait for the season to get here!

[Charleston Pony]

Paulina Paris also coming from Arizona. Looks like Coach Barnes and staff will have a lot of work to do to build next year's roster. Any early word on how many from last year's roster might return?

[PonyPride]

The Dallas Morning News and On3's Talia Goodman reporting three transfers:
• Grace Hall 4-star F from Penn State and LSU
• Jzaniya Harriel 4-star G from Stanford
• Mailien Rolf G from Arizona

All the details here:
https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/smu-mustangs/2025/04/06/smus-hiring-of-adia-barnes-already-paying-off-in-transfer-portal/

Also... Three more Arizona women’s basketball players enter transfer portal, and may be headed to SMU.

Grace Hall
6-2 forward
Redshirt junior in 2024-25 at Penn State
Played in 29 games, starting 15, averaging 18.7 minutes per game
5.7 points per game
3.0 rebounds per game
Second on the team with 29 blocked shots

Jzaniya Harriel
5-10 guard
Redshirt junior win 2024-25 at Stanford
Played in 21 games, starting 13, averaging 17 minutes per game
5.1 points per game — short 43.1% on 3-pointers
2.1 rebounds per game
23 assists

Mailien Rolf
5-10 guard
Freshman in 2024 at Arizona
Played in 31 games, starting 14 (most starts on the team among freshmen)
Averaged 19.5 minutes per game, including career-high 38 against Baylor
Averaged 3.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game
Recorded a career-high 11 points against Weber State and was perfect from the field (5-of-5)
Grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds at Chicago State
Grabbed 6+ rebounds in six games
Shot 70% from the foul line at 21-of-30
Shot perfect from the foul line in eight games
Dished out a career-high six assists against Baylor
Recorded nine points in her collegiate debut against UT-Arlington
Recorded six blocks on the season including a career-high two against Arizona State

Paulina Paris
5-9 guard
Junior in 2024-25 at Arizona (started her career at North Carolina)
The only player to appear in all 33 games for Arizona; started in 24, averaging 24.9 per game
Averaged 8.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game
Matched her career-high with 22 points against Seattle U
Dished out a career-high eight assists against Seattle U
Scored in double-figures in 14 games including two games with 20 or more points
Scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds at NAU
Played a season high 37:46 minutes at Arizona State
Made 1+ three-pointes in 23 games
Led Arizona in both steals and assists in ten games
67 assists were second-most on UA team

[PonyPride]

Barnes' overhaul of the roster is turning into an avalanche. More newcomers, per WBB social media:

Sahnya Jah
6-0 forward
Sophomore in 2024-25
Started her career at South Carolina
Appeared in 18 games in 2024-25, starting one
Averaged 6.6 point and 2.9 rebounds per game
Scored in double figures in five games
Recorded a career-high 22 points and first career double-double against Weber St. with a team-high 10 rebounds
Dropped 16 points at NAU
Led Arizona in rebounds in two games and in steals once
Appeared in 16 games as a freshman at South Carolina

Elise Hill
5-7 guard
Sophomore in 2024-25 at Tulsa
Averaged 28.8 minutes in 22 appearances last season for Golden Hurricane
Averaged 10.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists per game
Shot 40.4% from the floor, 34.4% on 3-point field goals

Anaya Brown
6-1 forward
2024-25 junior at UT-Martin
First-team All-Ohio Valley Conference
Played in 32 games with 31 starts for the Skyhawks
Averaged 15.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks in 28.3 minutes per game
Shot 44.2% from the field, 31.8% from beyond the arc and 75.1% from the free throw line
Ranked among OVC leaders in scoring (third), field goal percentage (fifth) and blocks (fourth)
Scored in double figures 26 times with eight games of 20 points or more, including a career high 29 points at Tennessee Tech (Feb. 20)
Recorded six double-doubles on the year
One of three Skyhawks in program history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks in career

Jazzy Gipson
6-0 small forward (from Duncanville, Texas)
Signed in November to play at Arizona beginning in 2025-26
From UA press release announcing her signing: "The Albuquerque, New Mexico, native is known in the high school circuit for her versatility as a post player, her lockdown defense, and her ability to knock down shots from outside... She has received nearly 20 Division I offers, including from the University of New Mexico, Hawaii, and Omaha, among others."

Roxy White
5-11 guard/forward
Signed in November to play at Arizona beginning in 2025-26
From UA press release: "a versatile small forward, has been a standout at Example Academy, competing on the school's national team against elite prep programs like IMG Academy, SPIRE Academy, AZ Compass Prep, Mt. Zion Prep, and Montverde Academy... White has earned numerous accolades, including team MVP, Grind Session Under the Radar Player of the Year, and three-time Grind Session Game MVP. She was also named MVP twice at the Insider Exposure Tournament in Jacksonville, FL, and at the She Got Game Classic in Atlanta, Ga.
Barnes on White when she signed with UA: "She's a fierce competitor who brings strength, toughness, and incredible versatility to the court. Roxy's ability to excel at multiple positions reminds me of me as a player—she's got that 'dawg' mentality and plays with a chip on her shoulder."

[Charleston Pony]

Looks like better than half the roster now filled but I'm still wondering whether anyone returns from last season or whether this is a COMPLETE overhaul. That would be a 1st and it wasn't that many years ago that would not even have been allowed. Different day and age in college athletics

[tristatecoog]

Quick and decisive work by the new coach. We'll have to attend some games next year. Much more affordable than the men.

[PonyPride]

Signed: guard Ayanna Thompson (DeSoto, Texas)
The 6-1 guard was a junior last season at Ole Miss

From the Ole Miss website:
2024-25 (Junior)
Appeared in 23 games with one start … Averaged 2.3 points and 1.1 rebounds … Tallied a season-high 11 points against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (11/10) in her lone start of the nonconference schedule, where she made a trio of 3-pointers … Had a career-high four steals against Alabama State (11/30) … Brought down five rebounds against Arkansas (2/13), a season best … Scored five points in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

2023-24 (Sophomore)
Appeared in 29 games, making one start … Scored a season-high nine points in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament against Notre Dame… Grabbed a season-best three rebounds in two games … Snagged a career-high three steals in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against Marquette … Averaged 8.7 minutes per game.

2022-23 (Freshman)
Lone Rebel freshman … Came off the bench in 30 games … Scored a season-high 12 points in the win against Kentucky … Snagged a career-high eight rebounds against Alabama A&M … Dished out an assist in six games … Averaged 3.1 points, 1.7 rebounds and 12.5 minutes per game.

High School
Member of the No. 11 ranked team nationally at Desoto in 2021 … McDonalds All-America honoree … Made the All-State Tournament team in 2021 … Member of the 28-2 team in 2021, winning Desoto’s first 6A State Title in program history … Played on the 2019 state runner up team for the Eagles … Ranked as a four-star prospect and the No. 8 player in Texas by ESPN … Named to the TABC All-State team in 2021.