Mizzou women’s hoops lost 8 to portal but retains this standout from Grain Valley
Newly introduced Mizzou women’s basketball coach Kellie Harper and guard Grace Slaughter held a news conference to discuss the transfer portal Monday afternoon.
Harper, hired as the Tigers’ coach on March 18, has quickly adapted to her new role, assembling her coaching staff, connecting with current players, and recruiting talent through the transfer portal.
So far, eight players from last year’s Mizzou roster have entered the transfer portal. Two of them did so despite having no remaining eligibility: forward Laniah Randle and guard Nyah Wilson entered in hopes of securing a fifth year.
Slaughter waited to see who Missouri would hire before she made a decision to enter the portal. The junior was excited to see the Tigers come to terms with Harper.
“She comes with a rich history of women’s basketball and not only coaching, but playing as well,” Slaughter said.
Slaughter returns after leading the team in scoring, averaging 15 points per game while shooting 48.5% from the field and 45.9% from 3-point range.
“I’m excited about the growth that even Grace can have,” Harper said. “We want to celebrate who she is but also continue to push her to the best she could possibly be.”
Harper says having a player like Slaughter is a major asset in recruiting transfers, with the opportunity to play alongside her becoming a key part of the pitch — along with Harper’s broader vision for the team and the incoming player’s role.
Her conversations with Slaughter were also an important part of the meetings Harper held with current players over the past month.
“I think the most important thing that we do right now is to have very honest and transparent conversations both ways,” Harper said. “I think the decisions that were made were probably right for everyone.”
One of the notable transfers from last season’s roster was former Mizzou guard Ashton Judd.
Judd spent three seasons with the Tigers, appearing in 94 games and starting in 58 of them. Last season, she started in 28 games and averaged 11.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists. She shot 39.5% from the field and 36.6% from beyond the arc.
On3’s Talia Goodman announced Judd committed to Texas in a post on X on Sunday.
She joins a Texas team that finished with a 35-4 overall record and a 15-1 record in the Southeastern Conference. The Longhorns entered the NCAA tournament as a No. 1 seed and advanced to the Final Four of the tournament. Texas lost 74-57 to No. 1 seed South Carolina on April 4.
Copyright 2025 Columbia Missourian
This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 12:04 PM.