Women's Basketball Final Four Teams Reflect on Transfer Portal's Impact

Four teams reach NCAA tournament's final weekend for second straight year, a rare feat.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 12:03pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a fragmented, multi-perspective view of a women's basketball game, with the competing teams' uniforms visible through the overlapping planes of color and shape.The transfer portal has reshaped the competitive balance of women's college basketball, leading to greater parity and unpredictability at the NCAA tournament level.Phoenix Today

The transfer portal has had a significant influence on the women's college basketball landscape, with its impact felt even at the highest level of the sport. The four teams that reached the 2025 Women's Final Four have all qualified again this year, a rare occurrence that has only happened once before in 1995-96.

Why it matters

The ability of top players to freely transfer between programs has reshaped the competitive balance of women's basketball, with elite talent more evenly distributed across the country. This has led to greater parity and unpredictability at the NCAA tournament level, as evidenced by the repeat Final Four qualifiers.

The details

The 2026 Women's Final Four features the same four teams as the previous year - South Carolina, Stanford, UConn, and Tennessee. Coaches and players from these programs have noted how the transfer portal has impacted roster construction and team chemistry as they seek to return to the national championship game.

  • The 2026 Women's Final Four is taking place in Phoenix, Arizona from April 3-5.
  • The same four teams - South Carolina, Stanford, UConn, and Tennessee - reached the Final Four in both 2025 and 2026.

The players

Ta'niya Latson

A guard for the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team.

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What they’re saying

“The transfer portal has really changed the landscape of women's basketball. You see elite talent moving around more than ever before.”

— Dawn Staley, Head Coach, South Carolina Gamecocks

What’s next

The 2026 Women's Final Four semifinals will take place on April 4, with the national championship game scheduled for April 6.

The takeaway

The repeat appearance of the same four teams in consecutive Women's Final Fours underscores how the transfer portal has empowered elite players to shape the competitive landscape of women's college basketball, leading to greater parity and unpredictability at the highest level of the sport.