Five potential Audi Crooks destinations: Making the case for LSU, USC and more

With that in mind, here are five teams we'd like to see pursue Crooks this offseason.

LSU Tigers

Few teams have made bigger transfer portal splashes over the years than LSU, which has added Angel Reese, Hailey Van Lith, Aneesah Morrow, Amiya Joyner and MiLaysia Fulwiley under coach Kim Mulkey.

Crooks would be another significant addition while filling a front-court void with Joyner out of eligibility. It's unclear how many Tigers players will enter the portal, but they're also certain to lose star guard Flau'jae Johnson to the WNBA Draft. If Fulwiley and Mikaylah Williams return, LSU will have two outstanding wings, while Crooks would fill out the front court that may return 2025-26 freshman Grace Knox and 6-foot-5 2025 transfer forward Kate Koval, who averaged 6.3 rebounds in 16.6 minutes per game this season. 

Nebraska Cornhuskers

The Cornhuskers, coming off a first-round NCAA Tournament exit, might not seem like the most logical landing spot for Crooks. Well, excuse us for being excited about the possibility of the star center partnering with Nebraska guard Britt Prince, named first-team all-conference by Big Ten media this season.

Prince, a homegrown talent, averaged 17.9 points on 53.5/45.7/91.2 percent shooting splits in 2025-26, her sophomore season. Her ability to score from anywhere on the court, paired with Crooks' devastating post presence, would give Nebraska an offense that would be hard to defend.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame made its first Elite Eight since 2019 under former coach Muffet McGraw this past season, its fifth with Niele Ivey as head coach.

Junior guard Hannah Hidalgo had a remarkable year, setting the Division I single-season record for steals (202), including 10 as part of a Sweet 16 triple-double. The three-time Associated Press All-American has already had a storied career, but the Irish should go all-in for her final season in an effort to win their third national championship and her first.

Crooks would be an immense help in the interior. Per Her Hoop Stats data, Notre Dame had a 49.2 percent rebound rate this season, the 19th-lowest clip among 79 power conference (ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, SEC) programs.

USC Trojans

Southern Cal took an expected step back in 2025-26, but with a fully healthy JuJu Watkins and All-Big Ten freshman of the year Jazzy Davidson entering her sophomore year, the Trojans could easily earn an NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed for the third time in four seasons in 2027, especially if Crooks comes along for the ride.

USC featured a guard-heavy lineup last season, which would make Crooks more of a necessity than luxury. The Trojans have had their most success under coach Lindsay Gottlieb when they had size in the front court, including former stars Rayah Marshall (6-foot-4) and Kiki Iriafen (6-foot-3). Crooks could help unlock the program's next deep tourney run.

Vanderbilt Commodores

Sophomore guard Mikayla Blakes, a 2025-26 first-team AP All-American, led the country in scoring this season, averaging 27 points per game while guiding Vanderbilt to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009. The Commodores also set a program-record for conference wins (13), finishing the season 29-5 overall.

Vandy also has a hole to fill in the post with seniors Justine Pissott and Sacha Washington exhausting their eligibility. She could potentially partner with 6-foot-4 forward Aiyana Mitchell, who is entering her senior year and is much more of a defensive force, to give the program a strong front-court tandem.