BYU women’s basketball’s best player, Lauren Gustin, has entered the transfer portal
The best player on the BYU Cougars’ women’s basketball team last season has entered the transfer portal.
Multiple outlets reported Sunday afternoon that Lauren Gustin, who led the entire country in rebounding during the 2022-23 campaign in addition to averaging 16.1 points per game, will look to continue her career elsewhere.
On Sunday evening, Gustin announced it on Instagram, writing, “Cougar Nation, I can’t thank you enough for the love and support you have given me the last 4 years at BYU. It has been such a privilege to be a part of the women’s basketball program.”
Gustin went on to thank a number of different groups of people, and then concluded the post by writing, “As a graduate student with just one year of eligibility remaining, I have entered the transfer portal to explore additional opportunities.”
The 6-foot-1 Gustin was named Deseret News Ms. Basketball in 2018 before beginning her collegiate career at Idaho.
After a short stint there, Gustin returned to Utah to play at Salt Lake Community College and then transferred to BYU.
In three seasons with the Cougars, Gustin has been tremendous. Following the 2020-21 season she received AP honorable mention recognition and All-West Coast Conference First Team honors.
The following year she again received All-WCC First Team honors, and then in the 2022-23 season she was dominant, as she registered 27 double-doubles in 33 games.
In 10 games, she reached at least 20 rebounds (she averaged 16.7), logging a career-high 27 on March 4 against San Francisco.
In four games, she tallied at least 20 points and 20 rebounds.
Assuming Gustin does in fact depart BYU, that obviously leaves a giant hole for the Cougars to cope with as they enter their first season in the Big 12 Conference.
In the 2022-23 campaign, head coach Amber Whiting’s first at the helm of the program, BYU finished with a record of 16-17 and earned a berth in the WNIT, where it lost in the first round to Rice.
