UNM women avoid key transfer portal blows, though at least two players intend to transfer

Last March the NCAA transfer portal hit the UNM women’s basketball team with one haymaker after another.

This March it was more like a pair of jabs.

Lobos coach Mike Bradbury met with each of his eligible returning players this week and came away feeling good about 2025-26. Two players, guards Lara Langermann and Lydie Mwamba, are entering the transfer portal, leaving a solid core of returnees in place.

Coming back are three starters, guards Alyssa Hargrove, Destinee Hooks and Joana Magalhães, along with key role players Paris Lauro, Drew Jordon and Nayli Padilla. Senior post Clarissa Craig also will return after sitting out last season due to injury.

Two other players, guards Reza Po and Lilli Hakkarainen, will meet with Bradbury again next week to finalize their plans for next season. That leaves New Mexico with seven to nine returning players and a four-player recruiting class (one sophomore, three freshmen) signed for 2025-26.

“I’m excited. I think we can be really good,” Bradbury said Wednesday. “If we can add just one or two more contributors, we’ll be playing for a championship.”

It’s a far cry from the position UNM found itself in last March, when seven players entered the portal and three others opted to forego their remaining eligibility. At that point the Lobos had four returning players (one starter) and one signed freshman on their roster.

Bradbury said the biggest difference this year is in the NIL (name, image and likeness) payments UNM can offer returning players. He declined to give specific amounts but said the Lobos are now competitive with other Mountain West schools.

“When players leave it’s usually either playing time or another school giving them more (in NIL compensation),” he said. “Last season we were near the bottom of our league in NIL. Now we’re competitive, which gives us a fair shot to retain players.”

Playing time was the main factor leading Langermann and Mwamba to enter the portal, Bradbury said. Langermann, a 5-foot-7 sophomore, appeared in 29 games with two starts last season, averaging 2.9 points and 1.5 rebounds, but her minutes dwindled down the stretch. Mwamba, a 5-9 junior, appeared in 12 games and averaged 3.0 points and 1.7 rebounds.

UNM overhauled its roster with transfers and international players last offseason and finished 18-14 overall in a tie for fourth place in the Mountain West. The Lobos then said goodbye to three seniors, leading scorer Viané Cumber, starting post Hulda Joaquim and reserve post Amhyia Moreland.

But UNM returns key building blocks in Hooks, Hargrove and Magalhães, all of whom ranked among the MWC leaders in numerous statistical categories. Hooks received All-MWC honorable mention, while Magalhães was named to the league’s All-Freshman Team.

Craig, a 6-foot-3 post who transferred from Cincinnati, was projected to be a go-to scorer before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in October. Reserves Lauro, Padilla and Jordon saw their playing time increase late in the season.

Bradbury, who was scheduled to depart for a recruiting trip Thursday, said UNM is in the market for one or two taller guards, likely either junior college or Division I transfers. Bradbury has three years remaining on his contract.

DECORATED CLASS: All three of UNM’s incoming freshmen finished their prep careers with outstanding seasons, while JC transfer Emma Najjuma made a solid return from injury. Here’s a quick look.

Laila Abdurraqib (5-7, PG, Lawrence Central HS in Indianapolis): Averaged 14.2 points, 5.5 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals. Named to Indiana Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Team.

Kaia Foster (6-3, G/F, Chiawana HS in Pasco, Wash.): Averaged 15.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists. Named Mid-Columbia Conference player of the year.

Tyler Jones (5-11, G, Hutchison School, Memphis): Averaged 18.6 points (other stats not available). Runner-up for Tennessee Miss Basketball honors in her classification.

Emma Najjuma (6-4, C, New Mexico Junior College) averaged 5.6 points and 6.9 rebounds in her first full season with the Thunderbirds. Najjuma will be a sophomore next season.