STARKVILLE — Mississippi State women’s basketball fell short of expectations during the 2023-24 season, missing the NCAA Tournament despite a 7-3 start to SEC play. As coach Sam Purcell looks to return the program to March Madness, he embarks on a crucial offseason.
MSU will enter Purcell’s third season with key players departing due to exhausted eligibility. Most noteworthy among them is All-SEC forward Jessika Carter who averaged 15.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in her final season. The Bulldogs are also moving forward without forward Erynn Barnum and guard Lauren Park-Lane.
Mississippi State is also losing players to the transfer portal with forward Nyayongah Gony and guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger already departing.
However, in rebuilding a roster that features the return of All-SEC guard Jerkaila Jordan, Purcell and his staff will also utilize the portal to add players. Hundreds of prospects are already in the transfer portal, including Hailey Van Lith − a guard who played under Purcell during his time as an assistant for Louisville before she spent this season at LSU.
Who is leaving Mississippi State women’s basketball via the transfer portal
F Nyayongah Gony − Gony elected to enter the transfer portal before the WBIT, Purcell told reporters on March 18. She averaged 1.8 points and 1.5 rebounds across 19 games played this season.
G Jasmine Brown-Hagger − Brown-Hagger entered the transfer portal on April 4, a source with knowledge of her decision told the Clarion Ledger. She scored 2.1 points per game while collecting 1.5 rebounds. Brown-Hagger’s best outing came in the first round of the WBIT when she scored a season-high 17 points against Georgia Tech. She was the No. 54 recruit in the 2023 class, according to espnW.
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Who is joining Mississippi State women’s basketball via the transfer portal
Stay tuned for updates to come.
Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State women’s basketball: Transfer portal tracker for Sam Purcell
