Shock waves ran across the Villanova and women’s college basketball community when star junior guard Lucy Olsen entered the transfer portal on April 9.

Now, the Wildcats have lost their second-leading scorer, junior forward Christina Dalce.

The news was reported on Tuesday, April 16 by Talia Goodman of thenexthoops.com. Dalce has one year remaining of collegiate eligibility.

Dalce joins Olsen, junior guard Zanai Jones, sophomore forward Megan Olbrys, senior center Kylie Swider and freshman guard Abby Jegede in the list of Wildcats in the portal. Along with two graduating senior guards, Bella Runyan and Maddie Burke, the total number of players leaving the Villanova roster goes up to eight.

Hailing from Edison, N.J. and coming to Villanova from Rutgers Prep as a three-star recruit, Dalce became a key member of the Wildcat squad during her three years on the team.

Not only was Dalce Villanova’s leading rebounder in 2023–2024, averaging 9.4 per game, but she finished the season with the fourth-most rebounds in the Big East. Dalce also led the Big East in blocked shots, averaging 2.6 per game.

Dalce’s standout performance earned her recognition as the Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Year, alongside Georgetown’s senior guard Kelsey Ransom. 

Her absence will be yet another challenging space to fill on the Villanova roster, putting the success of the 2024–2025 campaign in the hands of a promising freshman class and new talent arriving through the transfer portal.

The transfer portal will close on May 1.