Junior guard Zanai Jones is the next Villanova player to enter the transfer portal.
The news was first reported on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday, April 15 by Talia Goodman of thenexthoops.com. Jones has one year remaining of collegiate eligibility.
Jones joins a band of four other Wildcats in the portal: including freshman guard Abby Jegede, sophomore forward Megan Olbrys, junior guard Lucy Olsen and senior center Kylie Swider. The total number of players leaving the roster goes up to eight, with two graduating senior guards, Bella Runyan and Maddie Burke.
The 5’6 guard from Jersey City, N.J. had a vital spot in the starting five for the Wildcats. Jones saw her role on the Wildcats expand after a steady first two years. She started 31 games in 2023–2024 and finished the season with an average of 6.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.
Jones achieved her season-high 16 points on March 3 in Villanova’s 68–66 win over DePaul. She made a major impact on the court in Villanova’s WBIT Championship run, recording a season-high five assists in the 73–55 defeat of Virginia on March 24.
Losing Jones to the transfer portal is another tough blow for Villanova. The Wildcats adjusted to her absence during three games in the latter half of the season, when Jones was sidelined with an upper body injury. However, Jones was replaced by junior guard Kaitlyn Orihel in the starting lineup.
With three freshmen joining Villanova in 2024–25, plenty of roster spots are available for head coach Denise Dillon to bring in new talent.
The transfer portal will close on May 1.
