Serah Williams earned plenty of individual honors in three seasons at Wisconsin, but she never got a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament.
That won’t be a problem at her new school. Rather than worrying about whether she can get to March Madness, Williams will be trying to help No. 1 UConn win a second straight national title.
“You hear UConn, you just think of like success,” Williams told reporters.
Williams acknowledged she was a little surprised when UConn pursued her after she entered the transfer portal. After all, UConn had just won a national championship without her. But she could be an ideal fit.
The 6-foot-4 senior from Brooklyn, New York, earned first-team all-Big Ten honors and made the conference's all-defensive team each of the last two seasons. She ranked third in the Big Ten in scoring (19.2) and rebounding (9.8) and second in the league in blocks (2.3) last season.
She was the focal point of every opponent during her time at Wisconsin. Williams now must get accustomed to how different it is playing on a star-studded roster including Associated Press All-America preseason selection Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, the most outstanding player in last season’s Final Four.
“I’ve definitely been a lot more patient because I’m not getting doubled or triple-teamed, so I have time to actually see instead of rush,” Williams said.
The adjustment process has continued throughout the preseason.
“Every day it’s gotten a little bit better and you see a little more of what she can do,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “She’s getting comfortable in certain spots on the floor. She knows where she likes the ball, and she has a great feel for being around the basket and how to get a shot off. The other stuff – learning how we play and learning some of the stuff, the nuances in our offense – that will come little by little.”
Other notable transfers in women’s college basketball this season (former schools in parentheses):
Maryland G Yarden Garzon (Indiana)
Garzon, who is 6-3, left Indiana as the Hoosiers’ all-time leader in career 3-pointers with 220. She comes to No. 10 Maryland after scoring a team-high 14.4 points per game for Indiana last season. She posted double-figure scoring averages each of her three seasons at Indiana and posted career averages of 12.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Garzon has made 42.6% of her career 3-point attempts.
South Carolina G Ta’Niya Latson (Florida State)
Latson heads to No. 2 South Carolina after scoring 25.2 points per game at Florida State to lead all Division I players last season. The 5-8 guard was one of five players chosen to the Associated Press All-America preseason team. She was a second-team AP All-America selection at Florida State last year. She has a career average of 22.5 points per game.
Mississippi F Cotie McMahon (Ohio State)
McMahon was the Big Ten freshman of the year in 2023 and received honorable mention when the AP All-All-America teams were announced in 2024 and 2025. The 6-footer averaged at least 14.4 points each of her three seasons at Ohio State. McMahon arrives at No. 12 Ole Miss after collecting 16.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game for Ohio State last season.
TCU G Olivia Miles (Notre Dame)
Many WNBA mock drafts had Miles going second overall, but the 5-10 guard held off the start of her pro career and decided to play one more season of college basketball. Rather than returning to Notre Dame, Miles joins a program that beat the Irish in last season’s Sweet 16 Miles arrives at No. 17 TCU with career averages of 14.2 points, 6.5 assists, 6 rebounds and 1.7 steals. She earned AP All-America second team honors and shot 40.6% from 3-point range last season, dramatically improving what had been her biggest weakness.
NC State F Khamil Pierre (Vanderbilt)
Pierre, who is 6-2, ranked fourth in the Southeastern Conference in scoring (20.4), third in rebounding (9.6), second in steals (2.9) and sixth in field-goal percentage (.498) at Vanderbilt last season before transferring to No. 9 NC State. She was one of five finalists for the Cheryl Miller Award given annually to the top small forward in women’s college basketball. Her 17 double-doubles were the most by a Vanderbilt player since 1999-2000.
Louisville F Laura Ziegler (St. Joseph’s)
Ziegler comes to No. 20 Louisville after leading the Atlantic 10 in rebounding (10.4) and ranked second in the league in scoring (17.5) with St. Joseph's last season. The 6-2 forward also had 4.3 assists per game and was a finalist for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award. She set a St. Joseph’s single-game by scoring 43 points in an 83-45 victory over Loyola-Chicago. Ziegler averaged 14.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 2023-24.
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