Vic Schaefer's Texas hit with major transfer portal hurdle as former four-star recruit set to depart

Head coach Vic Schaefer and the Texas Longhorns were put in a difficult position on Friday. News came out that former four-star recruit Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda had entered the transfer portal.

She was the No. 34-ranked recruit in her class in 2022 and has one year of eligibility remaining. This past season, she averaged 5.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game for the Texas Longhorns.

Although Mwenentanda was a four-star recruit, she has struggled to live up to expectations. She has been a solid player on the Longhorns roster, but she has not emerged as a star. However, this past season, she became a part-time starter, starting 15 of the team's 37 games. With her departure, the Longhorns will need to replace her.

With the Longhorns' former four-star recruit in the transfer portal for her final year of eligibility, Vic Schaefer will need to find a replacement for her. If Schaefer is going to try to find a replacement through the transfer portal, he has limited time.

The women's basketball transfer portal window opened on March 24 and will remain open until Tuesday. As a result, there are only a few more days for teams like the Longhorns to add players through the portal.

There is always the possibility that Ndjaklenga Mwenentanda returns to Texas if she does not find a team to sign her, but that is unlikely.

Vic Schaefer and the Texas Longhorns have also benefited from the transfer portal.

While the Longhorns have had to deal with one of their key rotational players entering the transfer portal, they have also benefited from the transfer portal in some ways.

On April 12, they received a commitment from Arizona forward Breya Cunningham. She had been a member of the Wildcats for the past two seasons, starting nearly every game.

Cunningham took a big step forward in 2025, averaging 11.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. However, after the season, she entered the transfer portal and eventually committed to Texas. She could be an effective replacement for Mwenentanda and could provide even more offense.

Another option to replace Mwenentanda is a five-star recruit that Vic Schaefer's squad received a commitment from at the end of 2024. Five-star recruit Aaliyah Crump is committed to the Texas Longhorns for next season.

She is the No. 5-ranked prospect on the ESPNW Top 100 list. She played in the McDonald's All-American Game at the beginning of April and will challenge for playing time at Texas next season.