Kentucky WBB center Tionna Herron to enter transfer portal

Kentucky women’s basketball is losing another player to the transfer portal.

Multiple sources close to the program tell KSR that redshirt freshman Tionna Herron will enter the transfer portal. The 6-foot-4 center was considered a four-star prospect out of DeSoto (TX) High School and the No. 69 overall recruit in the class of 2022 by ESPN. She will have four years of college eligibility remaining.

Herron sat out her freshman season in 2022-23 after undergoing open heart surgery last summer. She was on pace to make her Kentucky debut in 2023-24 but will instead search for a new home through the portal. The Texas native initially chose the ‘Cats over Louisville, Ole Miss, Arizona, Florida State, and Florida.

Talia Goodman of The Hoosier Network was first to publicize the news and UK has since confirmed Herron’s decision to transfer. Kentucky WBB now has just 11 players on the roster for the ’23-24 season.

Welp, there it is. Mentioned over on KSBoard earlier this morning that this was going to happen.

Really tough loss for Kentucky WBB. https://t.co/DFQ2E3KG8E

— Zack Geoghegan (@ZGeogheganKSR) May 10, 2023

Herron is the third Wildcat to announce a transfer this offseason. Jada Walker (Baylor) and Kennedy Cambridge (undecided) did the same not long after the ’22-23 season came to a close, but Herron’s decision comes as a surprise. Her departure leaves open a hole in the frontcourt rotation that she was expected to help fill. Head coach Kyra Elzy recently secured a signature from 6-foot-4 class of 2023 forward Janae Walker out of Georgia.

The deadline to enter the transfer portal is Thursday night.