Utah women's basketball star Gianna Kneepkens enters the transfer portal

SALT LAKE CITY — Gianna Kneepkens had a tough decision to make at the conclusion of this season.

The Utah sharpshooter for the women's basketball team had gotten some WNBA attention and there was potential for her to forego her final season with the Utes to pursue a professional career.

Or she could return to Utah and continue to be a fixture for the women's basketball team as it moves through a new era under head coach Gavin Petersen, even one that would look drastically different with many of her teammates graduating.

On Friday, though, a third option came into focus as Kneepkens declared for the transfer portal as a graduate student.

"Two things can be true at the same time," Kneepkens said in part in a post on social media platform X. "My experience at the University of Utah has been exceptional. The coaches, support staff, administration, teammates, and education have been nothing short of everything I hoped for when I committed to the U.

"Life also provides opportunities, challenges, and times of discomfort so people can stretch themselves," she added. "After conversations, prayerful discernment, and much introspection, I have decided to enter the transfer portal."

The decision, she said, has given her "tremendous angst" because of her love of Utah, but added that she's "excited to find out what God has in store for me."

Kneepkens departure is a big blow to Utah, especially as one of the most efficient shooters in women's college basketball. The Duluth, Minnesota, native finished the regular season with the rare 50-40-90 shooting mark that only a handful of women have accomplished in history.

In fact, only five players at the Power Four level (17 all-time in Division-I basketball) finished a season shooting the ball better than 50% from the field, 40% from 3-point range, and 90% from the free-throw line in at least 20 games or more.

Had Kneepkens returned to Utah, she would have done so without the teammates she spent the last four years with as the group lifted the program to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 appearance her sophomore season.

Kneepkens finished the regular season shooting 51.3% from the field, 45.3% from 3-point range, and 90.5% from the free-throw line in 29 games. She averaged 19.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game this season.

Joining her in the transfer portal is freshman guard Kylie Ray, according to On3 Sports. Ray appeared in 16 games this season but didn't see much action during the games.

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