College basketball has become a frenzy in the 2020s. With players transferring out or leaving to play professionally early, it has become so difficult to build a foundation for a quality team, then keep that team intact.
The 2025 Oregon Ducks women’s basketball team has done just that. In a complete reversal of the norm, Oregon didn’t lose a single player to the transfer portal, yet added three new key pieces.
It starts with senior guard Astera Tuhina, a 5-foot-9 fireball who transferred over from the Washington State Cougars. The deep shooting senior had multiple big moments for the Cougars last season, one being a game-winning long 3-pointer against Eastern Washington. Last season, she put up 7.8 points per game, 3.7 rebounds per game and 3.7 assists per game. Her shortcomings are seen with her field goal percentage as she only notched a 36.4% mark, but the triples do drop as she dialed that same number from beyond the arc.
In a new, competitive system with Oregon head coach Kelly Graves, Tuhina is sure to improve in her final season of college ball.
“Oregon has always been a great team I've always followed,” Tuhina said. We've been in the same conference for my previous team, and always looked up to the coaching staff as well. I love their energy. So as soon as I entered the portal, as soon as they contacted me, I kind of knew that this was my place, and I was really excited to be here and just looking forward to the next season.”
Over in the middle of the lineup, the Ducks also added senior forward Mia Jacobs. This is a massive pickup for Oregon. She’s 6-foot-2, and attacks defenders hard, forcing opponents into fouls or finishing the tough bucket. She transferred from the Fresno State Bulldogs, where they finished 19-15, and Jacobs dropped monstrous numbers, scoring 18.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 40.8% from the field. She can also extend the floor, shooting 38.0% from beyond the arc. One problem could arise with the increase in skill Jacobs will have to face. The Big Ten is one of the more premier conferences in women’s basketball, and that jump from the Mountain West could be a challenge. Luckily for Oregon, her big size and gritty playstyle should fit right in with the competition.
“It's really similar to the Australian style of play, which is kind of why I lent more to here when I transferred,” Jacobs said. “It's just a step up from where Fresno was at. So, just a higher pace, bigger bodies, but being able to run the floor, stretch the floor, shoot, drive, kind of create for each other. It is like the style of play that I'm used to. So being like that now just feels like home and is normal for me.”
The third and final addition was sophomore guard Avary Cain, who transferred from the rival UCLA Bruins. Cain didn’t get much run for the Bruins last season and struggled when she did, only putting up 1.5 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 18 games and 8.6 minutes per game. This is not an accurate representation of the skills this young spark has. The lefty has clean handles, breaking ankles, then using that space to knock down 3-pointers. During a game her senior year of high school against the rival St. Righetti, the entire gym knew the ball was going to be in her hands every play. Yet, she dropped 28 points in a win, using her quick step to finesse defenders down low. She’s a big guard too, standing at 6-foot-1.
“Coming in, my confidence is starting to come back a bit more, but especially after that scrimmage,” Cain said. “I think I just got my confidence, my teammates, my coaches, always building me up.”
The new transfers, the returners, and Graves will face off at Matthew Knight Arena for an exhibition against the Western Oregon Wolves on Thursday at 6:00 p.m.
“Right now we have 12 players that I would feel very comfortable playing,” Graves said. “The cream is starting to rise, though. We have some players that are clearly winning some spots, and we're honing in on that starting five. I think I've got four of the five figured out right now. There's still a battle for one of the positions, but I don't think that's going to matter.”