Issue #1: The Portal Giveth, The Portal Taketh Away

Between Courts by Hoop Tea · Issue #1 · Friday, October 16, 2026 · by Kimi Green

Hey hoopers,

Welcome to the first-ever issue of Between Courts, the Hoop Tea newsletter. I'm Kimi. I bleed UConn blue, I'll defend Kim Mulkey's sideline outfits to my dying breath, and I own more women's-hoops player domains than any reasonable adult should. This is where I spill the weekly tea: NIL deals, portal moves, the stat lines that matter, and the occasional hot take you can screenshot and send to your group chat.

Tip-off is less than three weeks away. Let's get you caught up.

☕ The Big Sip: Audi Crooks Is a Cowgirl Now

Read that one again. The nation's No. 2 scorer last season (25.8 ppg, per ESPN) left Iowa State for Oklahoma State, and ESPN's Charlie Creme ranks her the No. 1 impact transfer of the cycle. Oklahoma State also landed Liv McGill from Florida, the only D-I player to average 20 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists last season. Iowa State fans, I'm so sorry. Big 12 defenses, I'm sorrier.

🐯 Mulkey Went Shopping (And Brought a Point Guard Home)

My girl Kim did what Kim does. LSU landed Jada Williams from Iowa State. Williams averaged 7.7 assists per game last season, third in the country. Put her next to Mikaylah Williams, MiLaysia Fulwiley and ZaKiyah Johnson and the Tigers are going to run like the sideline is on fire. (It might be. Have you seen the jackets?)

🔥 Rivalry Alert: Texas → South Carolina

Jordan Lee left Texas for... South Carolina. The SEC's biggest rivalry just got a defector, and Thanksgiving dinner in Austin got a lot quieter. Lee averaged 13.2 ppg, second on the Longhorns behind Madison Booker.

💸 NIL Receipts of the Week

• Unrivaled signed nine college stars to NIL deals on Aug. 14, including UConn's Sarah Strong and KK Arnold. Strong, Hannah Hidalgo and Madison Booker are back for a second year. (Two Huskies in the class. Not that I'm counting. I'm absolutely counting.)
• Venmo brought back UCLA's Sienna Betts for its "Money Moves" campaign and added Audi Crooks and USC's Jazzy Davidson.
• Nike put LSU's MiLaysia Fulwiley and ZaKiyah Johnson in its 40-athlete Blue Ribbon Elite class at LSU.

All 79 deals we track, every one with a source link, live on the NIL Tracker.

📊 Stat of the Week: 27.0

That's how many points per game Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes averaged last season, best in the nation. Vandy just added Georgia transfer Mia Woolfolk (13.9 ppg) to soak up some of those double-teams. Good luck to everybody.

🩵 Husky Corner

UConn went 38-1 last season (Sports-Reference). Sarah Strong was an AP first-team All-American (18.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 60.1% FG). And UCLA, the defending champ, has to replace six seniors. I'm not saying it's our year. I'm just saying I've already picked the outfit.

🗳️ Your Turn

Did I miss a deal? Submit it here and include a link. We only post receipts, no rumors. Want your brand in front of the most dedicated fans in sports? Sponsor Hoop Tea.

See you next Friday. Hydrate, stretch, and stay out of my mentions about Mulkey's blazers.

Kimi 🏀☕

Sources: ESPN (Creme, Oct. 15, 2026), CBS Sports portal tracker, Unrivaled, On3, LSUsports.net, Sports-Reference, AP. Full links are on the site.