Big Ten women’s basketball starter enters transfer portal days before season starts

The 2025-26 women’s basketball season has yet to begin, but the sport has already seen one standout player announce her intention to transfer.

Mallory Heyer, who has started in each of the 102 games she’s played in at Minnesota, said on Wednesday that she would enter the transfer portal — just 13 days before the Gophers’ season-opener against North Dakota.

“Thank you Minnesota for the past three years. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to represent my home state and wear Minnesota across my chest. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way,” Heyer wrote in a social media post. “For personal reasons, I will be closing this chapter at Minnesota and entering the transfer portal to find a new home as a graduate transfer.”

Heyer will graduate from Minnesota in December and is aiming to be enrolled in a graduate program at her new school by January. She won’t be eligible to play this season, but can feature for her new team in the 2026-27 campaign.

A 6-foot-1 forward, Heyer has averaged a near-double-double during her time with the Gophers, posting 9.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game over three seasons. Last year, she led Minnesota in rebounding with 290 total boards and also led the Gophers in double-doubles with seven.

She came to Minnesota as a Lindsay Whalen recruit and stayed with the Gophers in 2023 after Whalen resigned and she was succeeded by Dawn Plitzuweit. The Gophers have enjoyed back-to-back seasons of 20 or more wins with Plitzuweit leading the way and Heyer starting in the frontcourt.

Last season, the Gophers went 25-11 — their most wins in a single season since 2006 — and won the second-tier WBIT. In the championship win over Belmont at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Heyer posted a double-double with 18 points and a team-high 16 rebounds, the second-most she’s had in a single game in her career.

Plitzuweit agreed to a contract extension through 2031 in June. The Gophers brought in transfers Brylee Glenn from Kansas State, Tracey Bershers from UAB, and Finau Tonga from San Jose State. ESPN Top 100 recruit Makena Christian also joins Minnesota this season.

Given her consistency on the boards — she’s ranked in the top 10 in the Big Ten in rebounding in each of the past three seasons — there should be several teams vying for Heyer’s services. For her career, she also averages 1.4 3-pointers made and 1.1 assists per game.