With the Wildcats’ season likely coming to an end last week in Kansas City, Becky Burke and her staff must now shift their attention to the offseason. And while things should be better than they were a year ago, with Burke getting a full offseason to attack the transfer portal and reload her staff, nothing will be easy for the second-year head coach. On Friday, Arizona Women’s Basketball guard Tanyuel Welch announced in partnership with On3.com’s Talia Goodman via social media that she is entering the transfer portal.
The 5-foot-10 redshirt junior was one of the Wildcats’ more productive and consistent players this season. In her lone season in Tucson, Welch appeared in 28 games, making 19 starts. She averaged 8.7 points, a team-high 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, while shooting 46.5% from the field. Welch struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 26.7% of her shots from 3-point range. The Indianapolis native scored in double figures 11 times throughout the season, finishing with two double-doubles, including a 13-point, 14-rebound outing in the Wildcats’ first Big 12 win of the season over BYU.
While Welch is the first Arizona player to announce their intentions to enter the transfer portal, Becky Burke’s group is going to look a lot different next season in Tucson. Point guard Noelani Cornfield, shooting guard Mickayala Perdue, and center Nora Francois have exhausted their eligibility, while other players are also expected to enter the transfer portal. General Manager Michelle Marciniak is also stepping down after one season to support her mother in her battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
The Wildcats have four incoming freshman in the 2026 recruiting class, which features four-star guards Jasleen Green and Makayla Presser-Palmer, as well as forward Priyanka Ponnam and center Callie Hinder, who has spent the last two months with the team after enrolling early.