USC was supposed to be one of the teams to beat this season, but after JuJu Watkins got a season-ending ACL tear, they managed to hang on but did not do as well as before. They ultimately got eliminated by South Carolina in the second round. Now, they are about to lose French sophomore forward Dayana Mendes.
Mendes averaged just three points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.3 blocks per game as she played on an average of 13.8 minutes per game. This is down from her previous production during her freshman year with the Trojans, averaging 8.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Now, she is looking for a new home, as revealed by women’s college basketball insider Talia Goodman:
Top 5 Dayana Mendes Transfer Portal Landing Spots
Kentucky Wildcats
The Wildcats have two senior forwards graduating, which means that this could open up an opportunity for her to play more minutes. She has already shown her potential as a freshman, and now that she is a junior, she could probably have a breakout year in a blue-blood program like Kentucky.
Duke Blue Devils
Duke is dominated by guards, but they have some good forwards as well. The team did a lot better this year and is seen to lose a lot of their senior guards, , but this could be a good opportunity for Dayana Mendes, as Duke’s roster is dominated by guards, so adding more power forwards like her could bolster their frontline.
Iowa State Cyclones
The Cyclones may be lacking in size right now, so it could be a good opportunity for Mendes to head there and possibly play more minutes. They just lost their biggest star, Audi Crooks, to the transfer portal, and now may be the right time for forwards and centers to take this opportunity.
UConn Huskies
After that loss to South Carolina, Geno Auriemma is now back to the drawing board as several of his best players are leaving because of eligibility or the WNBA draft. This includes some key forwards, leaving a possible opening for Dayana Mendes, who could get some development from one of the greatest coaches ever.
LSU Tigers
Kim Mulkey developed Angel Reese into a dominant force. If Dayana Mendes is looking for some development, this is where she should go.
Read More:
Audi Crooks Transfer Portal: Top 5 Potential Landing Spots for Iowa State Star
Tennessee Women’s Basketball Transfer Portal: Full List of Players Entering and Exiting
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