Ole Miss might not just have a top 25 women’s basketball transfer portal class when the dust settles this cycle. The Rebels might be at the top after the latest addition to coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s program.
Former LSU guard Jada Richard was officially announced as the newest Rebel, bringing this portal class to seven total and giving Ole Miss two of the 15 best players in the portal. Richard was ranked No. 14 overall by ESPN, which called her departure from LSU one of the more surprising portal decisions. Former Tennessee guard Talaysia Cooper was the first transfer to commit to Ole Miss and is ranked No. 8 in that same ESPN list.
We told y’all… THE SIP IS THE MOVE! 🗣️#HottyToddy x @JadaRichard5 pic.twitter.com/Iq7GPMqBdc
— Ole Miss Women's BB (@OleMissWBB) April 17, 2026
Add in former five-star McDonald’s All-American Jaida Civil, and it’s hard not to look at this group as one of the best portal classes in the country.
Richard was one of LSU’s steadiest guards this season, averaging 9.5 points and 3.2 assists while shooting 40.8 percent from three across 34 starts. At 5-foot-7, she also led the Tigers in free throw percentage, hitting 70-of-79 attempts for an 88.6 percent clip.
“Jada is exactly what we were looking for in a point guard,” McPhee-McCuin said in the announcement from Ole Miss. “She’s a competitor, great defender, can shoot the ball extremely well, and is a true floor general. What I like most about her is her self-confidence and her ability to elevate others. She will be a tremendous fit here at Ole Miss.”
She scored in double figures 19 times this past season, including two 20-point games against Oklahoma and Florida. It was a major jump from her freshman year, when she averaged 2.8 points and reached double figures only twice.
Jada Richard will join Ole Miss and automatically slot in as a leader and facilitator
Jada’s able to dissect defenses and create advantages for herself & for her teammates is what made her special, and she also brings in a ton of toughness pic.twitter.com/AP6h39odpr https://t.co/3BX0riNmJ0
— Point Made Joshua (@pointmadejosh) April 17, 2026
Her résumé goes back even further. Coming out of Opelousas, La., she was a four-star, top-100 recruit and the 2024 Gatorade Louisiana Player of the Year. She won LSWA Miss Basketball, earned multiple all-state honors, and helped Louisiana Christian Academy win four state championships across three divisions.
Ole Miss now has 10 players on its roster for the 2026-27 season, plus one incoming high school signee, Reece Davis. That’s 11 players in all. The Rebels may add one more player from the portal, which is a scary proposition considering there are still several highly rated players available.
Ole Miss Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker
Men
Outgoing
- Augusto Cassiá, F, 6-8, Jr.
- Corey Chest, F, 6-8, So.
- Hobert Grayson IV, G, 6-4, Sr.
- Eduardo Klafke, G, 6-5, So. (Butler)
- Koren Johnson, G, 6-2, Jr.
- Tylis Jordan, F, 6-9, Fr.
- Travis Perry, G, 6-1, So.
Incoming
- Adam Clark, G, 5-10, Jr. (Seton Hall)
- Roman Siulepa, F, 6-6, Fr. (Pittsburgh)
Women
Outgoing
- J’Adore Young, 6-4, C, Soph.
- Tianna Thompson, 5-10, G, Soph. (Baylor)
Incoming
- Maya Anderson, 6-1, G/F, So. (San Jose State)
- Jaida Civil, 6-0, G, Fr. (Tennessee)
- Talaysia Cooper, 6-0, G, Jr. (Tennessee)
- Knisha Godfrey, 5-9, G, Sr. (Florida)
- Emily Howard, 6-5, C, Jr. (Boise State)
- Rachael Okokoh, 6-4, C, Fr. (Penn State)
- Jada Richard, 5-7, G, So. (LSU)
