The BYU women’s basketball team will have to replace several rotation players heading into its second Big 12 season.
Rose Bubakar and Ali’a Matavao have entered the transfer portal, sources with knowledge of the situation told The Salt Lake Tribune. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to comment publicly.
The Cougars already had some roster attrition to deal with even without the departures of Bubakar and Matavao. Nani Falatea abruptly left the program midseason after playing just three games. Lauren Gustin and Kaylee Smiler graduated.
Kailey Woolston and McKinley Willardson will leave on 18-month missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Woolston started in all 32 games and shot 46.6% from the 3-point line.
Bubakar spent three seasons at BYU. She played in 84 games and started 22, playing in every game the last two seasons. She averaged 4.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in her career.
Matavao, a freshman in 2023-24, came off the bench in 19 games.
BYU has up to six scholarships available for players transferring into the program.
Currently, 11 players are listed on BYU’s 2024-25 roster on the team’s website. Those seemingly returning to the team are: Amari Whiting, Kylie Krebs, Arielle Mackey-Williams, Heather Hamson, Emma Calvert and Lauren Davenport.
The incoming freshmen, per the website, are Delaney Gibb, Sarah Bartholomew, Brinley Cannon and Kambree Barber.
