Duke expected to retain all eligible players. One shocked with her portal entry
Duke women’s basketball, known for its stability the last several years, appears to be the victim of another major transfer portal shake up.
Sophomore Oluchi Okananwa entered the transfer portal and reportedly visited Maryland this week.
Player retention was one of the program’s greatest points of pride this past season. The team’s only losses on the roster were of upperclassmen that exhausted their eligibility. It looked like that would be the case again.
Okananwa, from Boston, entered the portal over the weekend, much to the surprise of women’s basketball fans.
Charlie Creme, ESPN’s women’s bracketologist, called her decision “one of the most surprising portal entries this transfer cycle.”
The guard played her first two seasons for the Blue Devils, earning ACC Sixth Player of the Year as a freshman and ACC Tournament MVP this season. Okananwa was known for her energy on both ends of the floor.
She played a key role in the team’s Sweet 16 berth last season and Elite Eight appearance this year. Duke fell to South Carolina, 54-50, narrowly missing out on the Final Four.
“This one stings a bit because of the way the game went and how close it was,” Okananwa said after the loss. “This being our second year, and us having more experience and being more knowledgeable in this game, we obviously had a lot more confidence. But, (I’m) so proud of these girls. We’re all so proud of the season we’ve had. Like always, we’re gonna take our mistakes, take the lessons we’ve learned from this game, and apply them for next season.”
In her two year stretch, she averaged 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game. During the 2025 ACC Tournament, which Duke won, Okananwa averaged 16.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
This season, the sophomore finished with five games with at least 10 rebounds and scored in double figures 20 times. She also contributed at least three steals in 10 games.
One of Okananwa’s best performances of the year came in the ACC title game against N.C. State. She recorded a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double to lift the Blue Devils past the No. 1 seed Wolfpack and give Duke its first ACC Championship in more than a decade.
She also led the program with a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double against North Carolina in this season’s Sweet 16. Okananwa’s efforts helped Duke overcome the Tar Heels and make its first Elite Eight game in 12 years.
Despite Okananwa’s expected departure, the Blue Devils are still expected to return most of its primary rotation. Ashlon Jackson, Jadyn Donovan, Toby Fournier, Delaney Thomas and Taina Mair were key contributors this season. There have not been any indications at this point that they will pursue other opportunities.
Okananwa is the fourth player to enter the portal, per reports.
Update: Okananwa announced on Friday her commitment to play at Maryland.
This story was originally published April 16, 2025 at 11:42 AM.
