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Christina Dalce becomes third Villanova starter to enter the transfer portal after WBIT run

Villanova may need to replace more than 80% of its scoring from this season after three starters hit the transfer portal.

Christina Dalce (right) celebrates a win over Marquette with teammate Kaitlyn Orihel. Dalce, who was the team's second-leading scorer and led the Wildcats in rebounds and blocks, entered the transfer portal.
Christina Dalce (right) celebrates a win over Marquette with teammate Kaitlyn Orihel. Dalce, who was the team's second-leading scorer and led the Wildcats in rebounds and blocks, entered the transfer portal.Read moreCharles Fox / Staff Photographer

Villanova starting center Christina Dalce entered the transfer portal Tuesday morning, one day after starting point guard Zanai Jones entered her name in the portal.

Dalce, who posted 8.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game, became the third Villanova starter to enter the portal, as it appears coach Denise Dillon has some rebuilding to do in the transfer market following the Wildcats’ run to the inaugural WBIT championship game.

While Dalce’s name was entering the portal Tuesday, star guard Lucy Olsen, who entered the portal last week, was making her official visit to Iowa.

In total, six Villanova players have entered the portal. Four — Dalce, Jones, Olsen, and Megan Olbrys — entered after the WBIT ended, and two — Kylie Swider and Abby Jegede — were in the portal while the tournament was going on.

As of now, it appears Villanova will need to replace more than 80% of its scoring from the 2023-24 season. Freshman Maddie Webber is Villanova’s top returning scorer at 7.7 points per game.

» READ MORE: Does Tyler Perkins’ transfer from Penn represent a new Villanova way?

Olsen, the nation’s third-leading scorer (23.3 points), seems likely to end up on a bigger national stage and seemed keen on heading elsewhere to play on that stage and ensure that she won’t face the same kind of double teams she saw in nearly every game. Dalce is another candidate to transfer up, while the other four players in the portal are unlikely to end up playing at a higher level than Villanova.

Villanova finished fourth in the Big East and missed the NCAA Tournament. Other top Big East teams have not been immune to portal departures. Marquette will be looking to replace its top two scorers, Liza Karlen and Mackenzie Hare, and Creighton’s second-leading scorer, Emma Ronsiek, is in the portal.

The Wildcats also aren’t alone in the Big 5 in needing to rebuild a large portion of their roster. As of Tuesday, La Salle’s women’s team had nine players who’d entered the transfer portal.

Players have until May 1 to enter the portal, and rosters for the 2024-25 season aren’t likely to be finalized until weeks after that date.