Robin Pingeton gets a big win out of the transfer portal, convincing star to stay

Wisconsin guard Ronnie Porter (13) sprints past USC guard Malia Samuels (10) during the second half of their game Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin guard Ronnie Porter (13) sprints past USC guard Malia Samuels (10) during the second half of their game Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Big news came out today for the Wisconsin women's basketball program as new head coach Robin Pingeton was able to talk star junior guard Ronnie Porter out of the transfer portal. Porter withdrew her name and will remain at Wisconsin for next season, giving a huge boost to the front court for the Badgers and Pingeton's offense.

Guard Ronnie Porter has withdrawn her name from the transfer portal and will stay at Wisconsin

Ronnie Porter is entering her senior season with the Badgers and has been with the program for three consecutive years. She started all of Wisconsin's games as a sophomore and a junior. She will bring her veteran presence to a brand new team under Pingeton. She was a 2024 Big Ten Honorable Mention as well as a 2024 Academic All-Big Ten award winner. She was also a 2023 Big Ten Honorable Mention.

As they always say about the portal, sometimes the best gets are the ones you keep.

Porter averaged 8.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game last season, which was down from her sophomore year, when she averaged 10.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. She's dynamic and could easily have her best year as a senior.

She's also a great defender, averaging nearly 1.5 steals a game. However, what may stand out the most about her ability is her assist-to-turnover ratio. As noted above, she averaged 5.1 assists a game last season with only 2.1 turnovers. That's about as impressive as it gets.

Pingeton probably had a big sigh of relief to retain Porter for her final season, and it will help the Badgers tremendously reach a new level and be much more competitive in the Big Ten conference next season. There have been several additions for the Badgers this offseason, but keeping Porter may be one of the biggest.

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