Aalyah Del Rosario set to leave Kim Mulkey's LSU for SEC rival amid latest transfer portal move

LSU Tigers coach Kim Mulkey will have to do without Aalyah Del Rosario’s services following her transfer from the school. Del Rosario entered the transfer portal earlier this month, and it has now been announced that she is committing to a new team.

According to Talia Goodman of On3, Del Rosario will be playing college basketball for Vanderbilt next season, bringing an end to her two-year stay at LSU.

The 6-foot-6 center played 67 games during these two years, including 37 in the just-concluded season. However, Rosario was a role player on the team, starting just one game in two years.

In her first season, she averaged 4.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game. Her performance stats, however, dropped in the just-concluded season, averaging 2.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game.

Despite her lack of starts, Del Rosario was named on the 2024 SEC All-Freshman Team for her performance. Del Rosario is the third player to leave the Tigers following the conclusion of the college basketball season.

The Tigers will also be without Sa’Mayah Smith and Last-Tear Poa, who recently joined the Arizona State Sun Devils women’s basketball team.

Vanderbilt presents Aalyah Del Rosario with a new opportunity

Del Rosario’s decision to leave the Tigers for Vanderbilt is understandable, given that she was not allowed to showcase her talents fully. The Dominican Republic native will now hope to be more than just a role player and play more minutes at Vanderbilt.

Considering her size, Del Rosario will be a good asset for the Commodores at both ends of the court.

The Commodores are not only getting a player with college basketball experience, but also international experience, having won gold with the USA team at the 2022 FIFA U18 Americas tournament.

Vanderbilt will also hope that her arrival can help the team improve on its position in the just-concluded season, going into next season.

The Commodores finished ninth in the Southeastern Conference, but did finish with a 22-11 overall record. Vanderbilt also reached the final of the SEC Tournament, where it lost to the 2025 NCAA finalists, the South Carolina Gamecocks.

The Commodores couldn't go past the first round of the NCAA tournament, losing to Oregon.