Colorado women’s basketball coach JR Payne knew this was going to be an offseason of transition for her program.
Between players who have graduated and others who have hit the transfer portal, Payne and her staff have a lot of holes to fill, and it’s made for an extremely busy first few weeks of the offseason.
“We’re recruiting a lot of players right now,” Payne said.
Following a second consecutive trip to the Sweet 16, the Buffs (24-10) will have a vastly different look next year. Five players, including All-American honorable mention point guard Jaylyn Sherrod, are graduating. Seven others, including first-team All-Pac-12 center Aaronette Vonleh, have hit the transfer portal.
Another player, guard Tameiya Sadler, is still undecided on whether to return for another year or move on.
However, Payne is excited about a returning core that includes guards Frida Formann, Sara-Rose Smith and Kindyll Wetta, who were all part of the regular rotation for the Buffs. The Buffs are also eager to see point guard Kennedy Sanders, who redshirted this year, get into the lineup.
There is also a trio of incoming freshmen that signed letters of intent in November.
Earlier this week, CU got a commitment from Iowa State transfer Nyamer Diew, a 6-foot-2 fifth-year senior forward, who is lean and lengthy with the ability to rebound and score in a variety of ways, including from 3-point range.
With Diew on board, the Buffs still have six open scholarships (seven if Sadler doesn’t return).
The Buffs are looking at several other transfers, including former Oregon State star Talia von Oelhoffen. On Friday, von Oelhoffen announced that CU is among her top four choices, along with Kentucky, Louisville and USC.
A two-time first-team All-Pac-12 selection, von Oelhoffen averaged 10.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists in leading the Beavers to the Elite Eight this season.
“We have four or five official visits (with transfers) next week and we had three last week,” Payne said. “We’re excited about the ones we’re recruiting. We’ve only signed one, but hopeful that we’ll get another in a couple days.”
With the returning core of guards and Diew on the wing, the Buffs look good on the perimeter, but Vonleh’s departure leaves them without any experience in the frontcourt. CU had hoped Vonleh would stay, but also wasn’t surprised when she put her name into the portal this week, and she’ll be a highly recruited transfer.
“We’re clearly recruiting post players,” Payne said. “We’ve been recruiting post players. We had an idea that (Vonleh) might leave and so we’ve been recruiting post players. So if we can just get a couple that we have been recruiting then we’re in good shape.”
With Vonleh and outgoing seniors Quay Miller and Charlotte Whittaker, the Buffs were strong in the frontcourt the past two years. Whether they can be strong in that area next year remains to be seen, but Payne said the staff will adjust the system if needed.
“We’ll get the best players that we can get and then we’ll fit our system around it,” she said. “We won’t take anyone that compromises our culture or anyone that compromises the things that we’re about, so if we can get the players were recruiting, then we’re in good shape.”
