Bella Hines shocked the LSU Tigers fanbase when she decided to enter the transfer portal. Hines played just one season with the Tigers and was expected to be with the program for a long time.
In her first season, she came off the bench in 33 games, averaging 13 minutes per outing. She averaged 4.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while shooting nearly 45% from the field and 37% from the three-point line.
The Tigers made it to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament, where they lost 85-87 against the Duke Blue Devils. Days after the NCAA Tournament exit, Hines announced that she was entering the transfer portal.
The 5’10 guard perked up ears with her announcement while generating a lot of buzz around her potential landing spots. A couple of days ago, she committed to the TCU Horned Frogs women’s basketball program.
The Horned Frogs are coming off a good season run. They were the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 conference with a 32-6 overall record, including 15-3 in the conference. TCU made it to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament.
They lost to the South Carolina Gamecocks, 52-78. Hines’ addition will add more depth to the TCU roster. They’ve added a few other players, including Stanford transfer Lara Somfai, who committed to TCU last week.
Somfai welcomed Hines with a heartfelt message on Instagram.
“MY FAV IS COMING TO TCUUU!!” she wrote. “love you!!!”
The former LSU guard is expected to have a bigger role at TCU. In limited time with the Tigers, she proved that she could put up big numbers on the board.
Bella Hines Thanked Kim Mulkey and the LSU Staff
It’s common for players to leave at the end of a season, looking for better opportunities. However, major programs like LSU usually don’t suffer much in the transfer portal window as most of their players promise them long-term commitments.
Kim Mulkey also thought that Divine Bourrage was the only player who would leave LSU, and Hines, alongside Milaysia Fulwiley, Mikaylah Williams, Jada Richard, Kate Koval, Grace Knox, ZaKiyah Johnson, and Meghan Yarnevich would return next season.
The 5’10 guard’s announcement came out of nowhere, and she thanked Mulkey and the coaching staff for allowing her to represent LSU.
“Thank you to coach Kim Mulkey and the entire coaching staff for believing in me and helping me grow every day,” Hines wrote.
She also thanked her LSU teammates and the fans for their constant support and encouragement.
Read More:
South Carolina WNBA Draft Projections: Where Gamecocks Stars Could Land in 2026
2026 WNBA Draft Prospects: Top 10 College Basketball Players To Watch Out For
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in baseball, tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
