Gophers star guard Sara Scalia enters NCAA transfer portal

The Gophers women's basketball team has lost another player to the NCAA transfer portal. But this one might be the most difficult to take.

Stillwater's Sara Scalia, the team's leading scorer the past two seasons, has entered the portal. Scalia was coach Lindsay Whalen's first recruit. A starter from early in her freshman season, Scalia averaged double figures in scoring in each of her three seasons.

She leaves the Gophers having scored 1,158 points, making 214 of her 561 three-point attempts (38.1%).

"I met with Sara [Wednesday] and she told me her intentions of entering the transfer portal,'' Whalen said. "I thanked her for her contributions to the women's basketball team and wished her well moving forward.''

The NCAA portal has become big business. Among Power-5 conference teams, as of Thursday morning, 163 players have entered the portal. In Division I in total, 843 players have decided to change teams.

It has happened to the Gophers, too. Guard Jasmine Powell, part of the same recruiting class Scalia was in, left midseason and will play for Tennessee. Forward Kadi Sissoko announced her decision soon after the Gophers season ended with a second-round WNIT loss at South Dakota State.

Erin Hedman, Klarke Sconiers and Caroline Strande, who had struggled to find playing time, also have entered the portal.

Of all the players, Scalia might be toughest to replace. This season she averaged 17.9 points and made 111 of 269 threes (41.3%). She scored 20 or more points 12 times, 30 or more four times, including in the team's first-round WNIT victory over Green Bay, when she scored 17 of her 33 points in the fourth quarter.

Scalia's father, Peter, said Sara's relationship with Whalen and her staff was a good one. But it appeared the Gophers and Scalia might have been in a different spot right now. Scalia has two years of eligibility remaining while the Gophers — even with a highly ranked recruiting class coming in — were more in a rebuild mode.

"The clock is ticking,'' he said. "She's a pretty strong-minded kid. She was like, 'I want to win.' "

And, at this point, that might be with another program.

This is something the Scalia family has been discussing for a while, and it wasn't an easy decision. Peter Scalia said there were times when Sara, well-known for her work ethic in the gym, was looking for teammates with the same commitment.

"This freshman class is coming in with that work ethic,'' he said. "But there are unknowns in Year 1, with how quickly these kids will develop.''

Scalia scored in double figures in 22 straight games, a streak that was ended at South Dakota State.

"These past three years have been a dream come true to be able to represent my home state," Scalia tweeted. "I would like to thank the coaching staff for allowing me to live out my college dreams. To my teammates, thank you for all the memories. They will be with me for a lifetime."

Scalia thanked the state of Minnesota, adding: "After long thought, consideration and prayers with my family, I have decided it is in my best interest to enter the transfer portal for my remaining years of eligibility. Gopher Nation, thank you."

Whalen and her staff will have to work to replenish the roster. With the transfers and with the players lost to graduation, the Gophers currently have only four players in guards Alexis Smith, Maggie Czinano and Katie Borowicz and post player Alanna Micheaux.

Whalen has a 10th-ranked recruiting class coming in, a four-player group all from Minnesota in guards Mara Braun (Wayzata) and Amaya Battle (Hopkins) and forwards Nia Holloway (Eden Prairie) and Mallory Heyer (Chaska).

Still, the Gophers will have to avail themselves of the transfer portal to add experience in general and get help in the post specifically. Among the players returning next year only Micheaux (16), Smith (13) and Borowicz (one) have started games. The Gophers need experience, three-point shooting and a presence in the post.