SIU's Uchenna, UNI's Boffeli enter portal

WBB: Murray State will return the most All-Valley players next season

SIU’s Gift Uchenna was second in the country in rebounding this season. (Photo: SIU Athletics)

With the women’s transfer portal opening on Tuesday, two All-Missouri Valley Conference talents are now on the move.

Southern Illinois forward Gift Uchenna and Northern Iowa forward Grace Boffeli are both in the portal, according to On3.com.

Uchenna led the Salukis in both scoring and rebounding with 14.5 points and 12.8 rebounds per game. She was second in the country in rebounding this year, behind only LSU’s Aneesah Morrow (13.5 RPG).

Northern Iowa’s Grace Boffeli missed all but three games this past season after tearing her ACL. She earned First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors in both 2022-23 and 2023-24. Boffeli will have one year of eligibility remaining as a graduate transfer.

As of this moment, only four of 16 All-Conference players will return next season. Two of those four are from Murray State.

FIRST TEAM

• Kendal Cheesman (Belmont/Senior)

• Katie Dinnebier (Drake/Senior)

• Leah Earnest (Valparaiso/Senior)

• Maya McDermott (Northern Iowa/Senior)

• Lacy Stokes (Missouri State/Leaving for Conference USA)

• Katelyn Young (Murray State/Senior)

SECOND TEAM

• Shannon Dowell (Illinois State/Sophomore)

• Haven Ford (Murray State/Sophomore)

• Halli Poock (Murray State/Sophomore)

• Anna Miller (Drake/Senior)

• Ava Learn (Murray State/Senior)

THIRD TEAM

• Jailyn Banks (Belmont/Sophomore)

• Soleil Barnes (Bradley/Senior)

• Tuti Jones (Belmont/Senior)

• Kayba Laube (Northern Iowa/Senior)

• Gift Uchenna (Southern Illinois/Transfer Portal)