NCAA Women's Basketball: 3 underrated SEC transfers who can make a huge impact
By Nick Andre
The 2024-25 women’s college basketball season is less than three weeks away. There are so many great programs across the country to look forward to watching. There will be a lot of questions coming into this season. Will South Carolina repeat as National Champions? Who can win National Player of the Year? There are a lot of storylines that will take place as the season progresses.
The SEC has been superior over the past few years. They feature the last three national Champions and include multiple contenders. During the offseason, several transfers decided to land in the SEC. Their presence on their respective teams can make a huge difference this season. Three underrated college stars moved to the SEC that fans and teams need to look out for.
Taliah Scott (Auburn)
Transferring from Arkansas to Auburn means that Taliah Scott has decided to stay in her home conference. At one point, the freshman point guard led the entire conference in scoring. During her one season as a Razorback, Scott was an electric all-around scorer. She continued to torch the defense with her perimeter shot and ability to attack driving lanes.
Heading to Auburn was the best decision for Scott. Head coach Johnnie Harris is building a great culture with the program and led the school to their first NCAA Tournament in five seasons. The Tigers are continuing to climb the charts as one of the respected teams in the SEC. Adding an elite scorer like Scott will bring more firepower to the team’s offense.
Scott averaged 22.1 points along with 3.3 rebounds on 40 percent shooting. With the multitude of freshman talent around the country, she was one of the more underrated prospects at Arkansas. Heading into her sophomore season, Scott will be playing with a chip on her shoulder. She’s looking to capitalize off a productive freshman year with an even better one in year two.
Dazia Lawrence (Kentucky)
The Kentucky Wildcats are another SEC team that is gearing up to become contenders again. The hiring of head coach Kenny Brooks alongside adding guard transfer Georgia Amoore has placed this team in a new direction. With the new changes taking place in Kentucky, they were able to acquire another guard transfer in Dazia Lawrence from Charlotte.
Lawrence is an elite three-level scorer who will be a huge punch offensively for the Wildcats. What stands out is her shot creation and ability to score inside the 3-point line. Lawrence shows great elevation on her perimeter shot while also displaying great footwork and body control when operating. Lawrence averaged 18.2 points on 42 percent shooting last season for the 49ers.
There are a few reasons why Dazia Lawrence will be valuable to her new team. One reason is that she brings experience as a fifth-year senior to the program and has been in many high-pressure games throughout her college career. Another reason is that she and Georgia Amoore have the potential to be a great scoring duo in the SEC. Expect Lawrence to be one of the leading factors for Kentucky this season. She’s already gained the trust of her teammates and coaching staff to add value to the roster.
Ruby Whitehorn (Tennessee)
There’s been a lot of changes that took place for the Tennessee Volunteers this offseason. The program parted ways with head coach Kellie Harper while watching their star player Rickea Jackson head to the WNBA. It's a new beginning for the Volunteers as they look to make their mark as SEC contenders again. One of their key transfers was Ruby Whitehorn who is coming off of a stellar season at Clemson.
Last season, the ACC featured so many dynamic scorers from Dyaisha Fair, Ta’Niya Latson, Hannah Hidalgo, and more. Whitehorn is another wing who gained her repast as a scorer in the ACC. She averaged 12.3 points on 46 percent shooting. Whitehorn is efficient inside the 3-point line with her ability to attack as well as her mid-range game.
Now Whitehorn is in the SEC, which is a conference just as dominant as the ACC. Transferring to Tennessee is a huge decision for Whitehorn. She’s joining a program that has a history of winning and is looking for players to carry the tradition. The Volunteers advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season but lost to NC State in the second round. With a player like Whitehorn on their roster, she could be a key piece behind a deep postseason run.