The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball transfer portal opened on April 6, allowing athletes to potentially find a new program to call home. In this transfer season, the Cal Poly Women’s Basketball team may face immense roster turnover, as seven Mustangs have entered the portal so far.
Of the seven players, three were critical components to the Mustangs’ lineup this past season: Vanessa McManus, Charish Thompson and Arissa Garcia.
Losing McManus and Thompson in particular will be a major blow to next year’s team, as they were the Mustangs’ primary two scoring options on a lineup that struggled to bring a reliable third scorer into the mix all season.
While some players who have entered the portal may decide to return to Cal Poly at the beginning of next year, Head Coach Shanele Stires will likely have lots of recruiting work to do if she wants to improve on the past season’s last place finish.
Here’s who’s weighing their options in the portal after a 4-26 finish last season, according to The IX Sports’s transfer portal tracker.
Charish Thompson
Thompson proved herself early in her first collegiate season as she quickly became a dominant force on both offense and defense. She is a 6 foot freshman guard/forward who led the team with a 45.3% field goal percentage.
On the defensive end, Thompson finished first on the team in blocks with 13 and led in both defensive and offensive rebounding. Her versatility throughout the court landed her a spot in the top 15 of four different categories within Big West statistics, including scoring and rebounding.
Vanessa McManus
In her first year at Cal Poly, McManus made waves on the court as a 5-foot-7 sophomore guard. The Saint Leo University transfer averaged 15.9 points a game, good for fifth in the Big West.
Captaining the offense, McManis led the team in three-point shooting and was tied for the second spot on the roster in assists.
Against Northern Utah on Nov. 21, McManus solidified her place as a top scorer in the conference with a 34-point outburst in their thrilling overtime loss. She will be missed next season as a primary ballhandler with an ability to create her own shot when plays break down.
Arissa Garcia
Garcia is a 5-foot-6 junior guard who transferred to Cal Poly this year after two seasons at Murray State College. When on the court, Garcia ran point guard, and finished tied with teammate McManus for the No. 2 spot on the team with 35 assists. On the defensive end, she was second on the roster in steals with 27.
Gillian Bears
Bears is one of two athletes in the portal who have been on the Cal Poly roster for two years. She is a 6-foot-3 sophomore forward who has appeared in 34 games throughout her time as a Mustang.
Despite limited time on the floor, her abilities have been steady on both sides of the ball as she has notched 49 rebounds and 65 points in her Cal Poly career.
Ana Moleón Hidalgo
Hidalgo is not only the second athlete who has been on the team for two years who is looking to transfer, but she is also one of two international athletes from the list.
Hidalgo is a 5-foot-11 sophomore guard from Elche-Alicante, Spain who played in 34 games as a Mustang. In her 338 minutes, she finished with 53 points and 15 steals.
Vivian Franklin
Franklin is a 5-foot-7 freshman guard from Dallas, Texas. She played in 18 games as Mustang, scoring 26 points and grabbing 19 rebounds.
Maya Sharvit
Sharvit is a 6 foot freshman forward from Rosh-Haayin, Israel. In her nine brief appearances at Cal Poly, she totaled 14 points and 18 rebounds.