Mama Dembele enters transfer portal after standout season

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

One of the SEC's top defensive players has officially entered the transfer portal. A Mizzou Women's Basketball spokesperson confirmed to ABC 17 Sports on Wednesday night that Mama Dembele has entered the portal as a graduate transfer.

Dembele was recently named to the All-SEC Defensive team, becoming the program's first player of the SEC era to earn All-Defensive team honors. She ranked seventh in the nation in steals during the 2023-24 regular season. Dembele was also the only women's basketball player in the country to post at least 75 steals and 150 assists.

Dembele's most eye-catching performance of the season was on Feb. 11 against Auburn when she became the first Mizzou Women's Basketball player in more than a decade to record a triple-double. Dembele posted 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in that game.

The senior guard ranked first on the team in assists and steals by a margin of 136 assists and 75 steals. She also finished the season scoring the fourth-most points on the roster and grabbing the third-most rebounds after appearing in 29 of Mizzou's 30 games.

Dembele will be entering her fifth collegiate season.