Transfer Portal Perimeter Threats: Targets for UW WBB Huskies’ Backcourt Offense (UPDATED 4/12/26)

Transfer Portal Perimeter Threats: Washington Zeroes In on Scoring Help

Washington enters the 2026–27 season with a clear mandate: find more perimeter scoring. With Elle Ladine and Hannah Stines departing, the Huskies lose two of their most reliable shooters and creators — including Ladine’s ability to generate offense from multiple levels as a complementary scorer; and Stines’ role as the main secondary ball handler.

The returning core of Sayvia Sellers, Avery Howell, and a rising Devon Coppinger gives UW a strong returning foundation for a perimeter rotation, but the staff knows it needs at least one, and more likely two, guards or wings who can score in volume and stretch defenses with threes and dribble penetration.

The transfer portal offers options — but Washington is targeting players who can help immediately, either as one‑year plug‑and‑play scorers or as solid multi‑year building blocks.

This is not a list of the best perimeter players in the portal. Instead, it’s based on Washington’s needs and the statistical profiles of each prospect (and those that we believe UW would have a reasonable chance to sign); here’s how the Huskies’ top perimeter targets stack up.

Best Overall Fit: Composite Ranking for Washington’s Needs

Washington’s staff isn’t just looking for talent — they’re looking for the right blend of scoring, experience, positional size, and long‑term upside. When weighing immediate impact, roster fit, shooting gravity, creation ability, and developmental trajectory, a clear hierarchy emerges among the Huskies’ top portal targets.Below is the composite ranking of which players best align with Washington’s needs for the 2026–27 season and beyond.

1. (Tied) Sophie Burrows — Syracuse (11.1 PPG, 39% 3FG, 5.8 RPG)/ 1-year plug and play

UPDATE: Committed to North Carolina
Burrows is the cleanest plug‑and‑play fit for Washington’s system. At 6‑foot‑2, she brings size, shooting, and experience — a rare combination in the portal. Her 39% three‑point shooting last season wasn’t a small-sample anomaly; she’s been a consistent perimeter threat throughout her Syracuse career. Add in her 11.1 points per game, and Burrows profiles as the most seamless replacement for Ladine’s scoring versatility. She can shoot over smaller guards, attack closeouts, and defend multiple positions — exactly the kind of veteran presence UW needs to stabilize its perimeter rotation.

Why she’s No. 1: As the best shooter of the group, no one in Washington’s portal mix stretches the floor like Burrows. Her high efficiency on even high‑difficulty attempts makes her the most reliable perimeter threat available– she shoots over contests, relocates well, and forces defenses to guard higher on the floor. Burrows is the most seamless plug‑and‑play shooting upgrade that instantly upgrades the spacing of the Washington offense.

1. (Tied) Zahirah Walton — George Mason (18.1 PPG, 5.1 FTsMade per game)/ 1-year plug and play

UPDATE – Committed to West Virginia.
If Washington wants a true bucket‑getter, Walton is the most explosive scorer on the board. Her 18.1 points per game ranked among the best in the Atlantic‑10, and her ability to get downhill is reflected in her 5.1 made free throws per game, good for 17th nationally. Zahirah “ZaZa” Walton was the engine of a George Mason team that won the A‑10 regular‑season title, and she plays with the kind of assertiveness Washington lacked at times last season. She’s not the same type of shooter as Burrows, but her ability to pressure the rim and draw fouls would immediately diversify UW’s offense.

Why she’s No. 1: A Seattle native, Walton is the most dynamic self‑creator on the board with the elite ability to draw fouls — a scorer who can generate offense without structure. A mid-range monster that lives in the paint, and forces defensive rotations. If Washington wants a player who can take over possessions the way Elle Ladine once did, Walton is the closest match. Can the Huskies bring Walton home?

3. Addie Deal — Iowa (5.1 PPG, 1.6 APG, All‑Big Ten Freshman Team)/ multi-year

Deal is the highest‑upside long‑term option. Ranked 23rd nationally in the 2025 recruiting class, she showed flashes of star potential at Iowa — including a 20‑point performance against Ohio State; and 18 points versus Oregon. Her 5.1 points, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 rebounds per game don’t tell the full story; she played behind one of the deepest backcourts in the country and still earned All‑Big Ten Freshman Team honors. For Washington, Deal represents a multi‑year developmental piece who could grow into a primary or secondary creator while contributing immediately as a slasher and defender.

Why she’s No. 3: Deal is the best multi-year playmaker with the highest upside — she flashed real playmaking and scoring potential in limited minutes behind a veteran backcourt rotation. Her scoring breakout performances ( vs. Ohio State and Oregon) showed what she looks like with volume opportunities. Washington could build around her for multiple seasons.

4. (Tied) Jaylah Lampley — Mississippi State (8.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 50% FG, 37% 3FG) / multi-year

UPDATE – Committed to Rutgers.
Lampley is one of the most efficient players in the portal. Shooting 50% from the field and 37% from three, she brings a polished offensive game and strong rebounding at 6‑foot‑1. Ranked 37th in the 2025 class, she has the size and skill to play either wing spot. For Washington, she offers a blend of shooting and physicality that would fit perfectly next to Sellers and Howell.

Why she’s No. 4: Lampley is the most efficient scorer in our group, against SEC competition. She’s a high‑floor, multi‑year wing who can contribute immediately and grow into a major role — she doesn’t force shots, rebounds well for her size, and plays with a mature offensive feel that would fit beautifully next to Howell and Sellers.

4. (Tied) Vanessa Harris — Rhode Island (10.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, A‑10 Sixth Player of Year)/ multi-year

UPDATE – Committed to Florida.
Harris was one of the most productive freshmen in the Atlantic‑10, averaging 10.2 points and 3.8 rebounds while earning Sixth Player of the Year honors. She’s a confident scorer who thrives attacking off the bounce and has the frame to defend multiple positions. She’s not yet a high‑volume shooter, but her ability to generate offense without needing plays drawn for her makes her an intriguing fit for Washington’s second unit — with starter upside down the line.

Why she’s No. 4: She’s a valuable spark plug, but her skill set overlaps with existing UW guards more than others on this list. She’s not a pure shooter yet, but her ability to create energy and pressure defenses makes her an ideal second‑unit scorer with starter upside.

7. (Tied) Harissoum Coulibaly — Auburn (10.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.6 APG) /multi-year

Coulibaly brings SEC‑tested production and a strong all‑around game. Her 10.4 points per game as a freshman in the nation’s toughest defensive conference speaks volumes about her competitiveness. She rebounds well for her size and plays with a physical edge that Washington’s staff values. She’s not yet a knockdown shooter, but her ability to create off the dribble and defend multiple positions makes her a high‑floor, high‑upside addition.

7. (Tied) Jordan Ode – Michigan State (redshirt – DNP) / multi-year

This 6’0″ combo guard was ESPN’s #33-ranked recruit in 2025; Jordan Ode redshirted and did not play as a freshman for Michigan State — the Spartans have 2 starting guards returning next season. Ode received offers from a long list of power conference programs as the No. 1 recruit in Minnesota, including Kansas, llinois, Iowa State, Utah and Minnesota.

Why she’s No. 7: Individual potential (albeit demonstrated in high school) plus Minnesota’s strong track record of producing high level women’s college basketball players bodes well for Ode’s future success in the Big Ten.