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SEC Women’s Basketball: 5 Biggest Transfer Portal Winners of the Offseason

By Elliot Reeder

AUSTIN, TEXAS - OCTOBER 30: Darrione Rogers #21 of the DePaul Blue Demons drives against Amina Muhammad #14 of the Texas Longhorns during a charity exhibition game at the Moody Center on October 30, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS - OCTOBER 30: Darrione Rogers #21 of the DePaul Blue Demons drives against Amina Muhammad #14 of the Texas Longhorns during a charity exhibition game at the Moody Center on October 30, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /
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SEC Women's Basketball
Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Jewel Spear (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

3. Tennessee Volunteers

Additions – Jewel Spear (Wake Forest), Destinee Wells (Belmont), Avery Strickland (Pitt), and Talaysia Cooper (South Carolina)*

Two big ACC transfers are headed to Knoxville, along with one of the top transfers from the Missouri Valley Conference, after the Lady Vols made a trip to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament last year.

Spear averaged 16.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 1.8 APG last year at Wake. She shot 37.7% from the field and 35.4% from deep. Spear was named 2nd team All-ACC for her efforts. She was a multi-year contributor in Winston-Salem as well as she also averaged 18.3 PPG in 2021/2022. Overall for her career (85 games across 3 years), Spear averaged 15.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 1.6 APG on 38.9% shooting from the field and 36.3% from deep. Spear has knocked down 226 three-pointers so far in her career.

Wells was the best player on a Belmont team that won 23 games last year. The Lakeland, TN native averaged 19.5 PPG, 4.9 APG, and 3.0 RPG on strong efficiency in order to earn 1st team All-MVC honors. She shot 48.6% from the field and a fantastic 45.5% from deep. Wells has three-year averages of 18.1 PPG, 4.7 APG, and 3.2 RPG on 46.7% shooting from the field and 38.3% shooting from deep. ESPN ranks Wells as the No. 17 transfer in the class.

Strickland averaged 6.2 PPG this past year in her Freshman season at Pitt. She appeared in 30 games (with 11 starts), while shooting 38.3% from the field. Strickland is also heading home, as she hails from Knoxville.

Cooper transferred to Tennessee this offseason from South Carolina, but she must sit out the 2023/2024 season due to when she made the decision to transfer. Cooper averaged 2.9 PPG and 1.8 RPG last year at South Carolina.

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