Amid Change, Determining Oregon State’s Next Step In Women’s Basketball

By 750 THE GAME STAFF

It was a magical season for the Oregon State women’s basketball team. An Elite 8 run that ended with a loss to the eventual national champions South Carolina. And with basically the entire team being non-seniors, there was a lot of hope for the future.

Then the transfer portal came into play. First it was Talia von Oelhoffen. Now it is forward Timea Gardner.

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— TG (@timea_gardiner) April 8, 2024

With the news that Gardner will enter the portal, John Canzano said that this may not be the end to the portal losses for the Beavers.

“Oregon State is trying to desperately hold this roster together,” Canzano said on 750 The Game. “They lost Talia von Oelhoffen. They’re now facing the loss of Timea Gardner who I thought was their best player this year. I had speculated that it would be between three and six (players) that they would lose. Best case scenario three players in the portal. Worst case six.”

The success of the Beavers and the success of the women’s game adds to the interest in the players wanting to leave. With the Beavers playing in the West Coast Conference next season, Canzano says some of the players feel as if they won’t be playing on the highest level of competition – a level of popularity that we have never seen in the women’s game.

“Oregon State has got to sell this roster on the idea that the WCC schedule that they are playing next year is not it,” continued Canzano. “What happened this year, and maybe they’re a victim of their own success, but when Talia von Oelhoffen and Timea Gardner get a taste of the Elite 8 and they watch the national championship game on Sunday. They see South Carolina and Iowa and they go ‘gosh we played them (South Carolina) as hard as Iowa did.”

With NIL being a huge talking point, there is always a question if the collectives are invested enough in women’s sports. Canzano says that’s not the case in Corvallis. The Dam Nation Collective is invested and ready to give the Beavers players all the NIL money they needed. The reason for transferring was all about opportunity.

“I’m told that the Dam Nation Collective is supporting women’s basketball at Oregon State,” Canzano said. “This isn’t about money. I am told this is about the players on Oregon State’s roster wanting to play against the best teams. Can Oregon State hold it together? Is this it? I don’t know.”

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