Porti & ambiente — le notizie raccolte

La NASA ha puesto en marcha unatipografía construida a partir de paisajes realesde nuestro planeta, capturados por satélites, que permite escribir tu nombre con ríos, lagos, montañas, costas, nubes y desiertos vistos desde el espacio. Lejos de ser un simple juego, el proyecto combina divulgación científica, creatividad visual y un recordatorio bastante gráfico de la riqueza —y la fragilidad— de la Tierra. Esta herramienta, llamada«Your Name in Landsat» o «Tu nombre en Landsat», se ha lanzado en el marco del Día de la Tierra y se ha vuelto viral en redes sociales en cuestión de días. Cualquier persona, desde España, Europa o cualquier otro lugar del mundo, puede generar en segundos una especie de cartel personalizado en el que cada letra está formada por una fotografía satelital auténtica. «Tu nombre en Landsat» es unaplataforma interactiva desarrollada por la NASAque transforma palabras en una especie de alfabeto visual elaborado exclusivamente con imágenes satelitales. Cada carácter del abecedario corresponde a un paisaje distinto: un meandro de un río puede ser una «S», un cráter circular se convierte en una «O» y determinadas curvas de costa se adaptan a letras como la «C» o la «J». Las imágenes no son dibujos ni montajes generados por ordenador, sinofotografías reales del programa Landsat, una serie de misiones que desde 1972 se dedican a observar de forma sistemática la superficie terrestre. Esta colaboración entre la NASA y el Servicio Geológico de Estados Unidos (USGS) es uno de los proyectos de monitorización ambiental más veteranos del mundo. La idea de componer una tipografía con paisajes nace del deseo deacercar la ciencia espacial a la ciudadaníamediante una experiencia más cercana y personal. En lugar de mostrar solo mapas técnicos o gráficos, la agencia convierte décadas de datos científicos en una galería de letras que cualquiera puede manipular y compartir. Aunque se presente como una propuesta lúdica, la herramienta pone el foco en el hecho de quecada letra corresponde a un lugar concreto del planeta, con su historia, su clima y su contexto ambiental, lo que invita a mirar esos paisajes con otros ojos. El funcionamiento de la herramienta es bastante sencillo:el usuario escribe una palabra y el sistema la «traduce» a paisajes. Por cada letra, el generador selecciona una fotografía satelital de la galería del programa Landsat cuya forma se parezca lo máximo posible al carácter correspondiente. Al colocar el cursor sobre cada una de las imágenes, o al mantener pulsada la foto en pantalla táctil, se despliegainformación geográfica adicional: país, zona concreta, tipo de relieve (río, delta, lago, montaña, cráter, isla, parque nacional, tierras de cultivo, etc.) e incluso las coordenadas de la toma. Es una especie de viaje alrededor del mundo, pero organizado letra a letra. Algunas letras cuentan convarias versiones disponibles en la galería. La «A», por ejemplo, tiene distintas variantes que van desde el delta del Yukón, en Alaska, hasta el lago Guakhmaz, en Azerbaiyán. En cambio, otras como la «G» son menos habituales en la naturaleza y, de momento, solo disponen de una opción, procedente de Fonte Boa, en el estado de Amazonas (Brasil). Más allá de lo visual, la herramienta se apoya en un fenómeno conocido comopareidolia, la tendencia del cerebro humano a reconocer formas familiares (como letras o figuras) en imágenes complejas. La NASA ha aprovechado esta capacidad para identificar patrones en el relieve terrestre y convertirlos en una especie de alfabeto planetario. Conviene tener en cuenta que el sistema presenta ciertaslimitaciones técnicas y lingüísticas: no acepta acentos, la letra «ñ» ni términos ofensivos en inglés. Aun así, permite introducir nombres, apodos, mensajes breves y palabras en varios idiomas, lo que ha facilitado su expansión en Europa y Latinoamérica. El proceso para generar esta especie de cartel tipográfico es rápido y no requiere registro.Desde España o cualquier país europeo, los pasos son exactamente los mismos, siempre a través del sitio oficial de la NASA: Además del nombre propio, la NASA anima a usar la herramienta parajugar con combinaciones creativas: nombres de mascotas, motes, palabras de cariño como «te amo», mensajes para amistades o frases cortas para publicaciones en redes. En México, por ejemplo, el dirigente del PRI, Alejandro Moreno, utilizó la página para generar su nombre con paisajes terrestres y compartirlo públicamente, lo que ilustra cómola herramienta ha llegado también a figuras políticas y marcas. Varias compañías tecnológicas, como Xbox, se han sumado a la tendencia publicando sus propias versiones del alfabeto planetario. La interacción no se queda solo en la página oficial. En redes sociales, laspublicaciones de la NASA sobre esta tipografíaacumulan millones de visualizaciones y miles de respuestas de usuarios que comparten sus creaciones, con comentarios que van desde el asombro hasta la curiosidad por localizar cada lugar en el mapa. El corazón de esta tipografía es laGalería de Imágenes del Alfabeto del programa Landsat, un recopilatorio específico dentro del archivo visual que la misión ha construido durante más de cinco décadas. Las fotos que alimentan el generador proceden principalmente de cuatro grandes plataformas de observación terrestre. Detrás del proyecto hay un equipo de apoyo científico ligado al programa Landsat, entre quienes destacanRoss Walter, Allison Nussbaum y Ginger Butcher. Su labor ha consistido en revisar, seleccionar y organizar las imágenes que mejor se adaptan a las distintas formas del alfabeto, garantizando que todas correspondan a paisajes reales y reconocibles. La misión Landsat, iniciada el 23 de julio de 1972, ha lanzado yaocho satélites que han fotografiado de manera sistemática la superficie terrestre. Esta continuidad convierte su archivo en una herramienta clave para analizar la evolución de glaciares, bosques, zonas agrícolas, áreas urbanas y regiones costeras de todo el mundo. Aunque la tipografía pueda parecer un simple producto visual, se apoya en una infraestructura científica de enorme envergadura:datos abiertos, sensores de alta resolución y cooperación internacional, incluida la contribución europea a través de la ESA y sus programas de observación terrestre. Según la propia NASA, las mismas imágenes que hoy forman letras han servido durante décadas paratomar decisiones sobre medio ambiente y recursos naturales: delimitación de áreas protegidas, seguimiento de sequías, evaluación de daños tras incendios o inundaciones y análisis del avance de la deforestación. La puesta en marcha de «Tu nombre en Landsat» no es casual: la NASA la lanzócoincidiendo con la celebración del Día de la Tierra, el 22 de abril, como una forma de poner el foco en el estado del planeta y en los efectos cada vez más visibles del cambio climático. El calentamiento global ya dejahuellas claras en múltiples regiones: subida del nivel del mar, olas de calor más intensas, incendios forestales recurrentes y fenómenos meteorológicos extremos. En el ámbito urbano, la llamada «isla de calor» —las altas temperaturas concentradas en las ciudades— reduce la actividad ciudadana, acentúa desigualdades y multiplica los riesgos para la salud, especialmente en barrios con poca vegetación. En zonas costeras de Sudamérica, como Buenos Aires o Puerto Quequén, estudios del Servicio de Hidrografía Naval y de universidades locales han detectado queel ritmo de ascenso del nivel del mar se ha duplicado en las últimas décadas, una tendencia impulsada por el deshielo y la expansión térmica de los océanos. A ello se suma la intrusión de agua salada en acuíferos y ríos, que amenaza la disponibilidad de agua potable. Organismos como la NOAA señalan que los océanos almacenan cerca del91 % del exceso de calor generado por los gases de efecto invernadero, lo que alimenta huracanes y lluvias extremas en zonas cada vez más extensas. Este tipo de fenómenos, a su vez, eleva el riesgo de inundaciones y daños en infraestructuras costeras, un problema que afecta tanto a América como a Europa. En Sudamérica, un estudio citado en la revista Nature Climate Change advierte de quecasi el 40 % de las especies amenazadas podrían perder la mitad de su hábitatsi no se reducen de forma drástica las emisiones. En Europa, aunque los contextos sean distintos, los satélites también registran cambios en la cobertura forestal, en los patrones de sequía y en la frecuencia de incendios en países mediterráneos como España, Italia o Grecia. Con este telón de fondo, la tipografía creada con paisajes terrestres funciona como unallamada visual a la responsabilidad colectiva: cada letra es una porción de la Tierra cuya conservación depende en buena medida de las decisiones políticas, económicas y sociales que se tomen en las próximas décadas. Desde su lanzamiento, «Tu nombre en Landsat» se ha convertido enuno de los contenidos más compartidos de la NASAdurante el Día de la Tierra. La publicación de la agencia y de centros como el Kennedy Space Center ha superado las decenas de millones de visualizaciones, con usuarios de todo el mundo mostrando sus nombres transformados en letras de paisaje. Muchos comentarios destacan el impacto de ver su nombre compuesto porlugares tan diversos como glaciares, volcanes, desiertos africanos o deltas de grandes ríos. Es habitual que las personas se detengan a investigar de dónde procede cada fragmento de la composición y, en algunos casos, a buscar esos puntos en servicios de mapas para ver su contexto. La herramienta también ha encontrado un hueco encontextos educativos: docentes de secundaria y bachillerato la están utilizando como recurso para introducir temas de geografía, cambio climático y teledetección. Crear un cartel con el nombre de la clase o del centro se convierte en la excusa para hablar de cómo funcionan los satélites y por qué es importante mantener series de datos tan largas como la de Landsat. Además, el proyecto ha demostrado que es posiblereutilizar archivos científicos en formatos más accesiblessin desvirtuar su valor original. En lugar de limitarse a informar mediante informes técnicos, la NASA abre la puerta a que la ciudadanía interactúe con los datos, los comparta y los integre en su vida cotidiana, desde un fondo de pantalla hasta una publicación en redes sociales. Al final, esta tipografía hecha con imágenes satelitales resume de forma muy gráfica cómo la observación de la Tierra puede ser a la vez unaherramienta de investigación, una ventana a la diversidad de paisajes del planeta y un recordatorio discreto de la necesidad de protegerlos, permitiendo que cada persona escriba su nombre literalmente con trozos del mundo que habitamos.

Save Share Note: Al Jazeera is withholding some details of interviewees, such as surnames, to protect their identities. Nouakchott, Mauritania –In her dimly lit apartment in a quiet suburb of Nouakchott, Francina folded up laundry scattered on a low bed in the corner. Insects gathered on the floor. A native of the Republic of Congo, the 23-year-old has been on the road – alone – for as long as she can remember. She was first displaced after her parents were killed in a bloody conflict in Congo, after which she fled to Mali, where a fellow Congolese housed her. When the woman who welcomed her died, however, she was forced onto the streets. When Francina arrived in neighbouring Mauritania in 2023, things were steady at first. She felt welcomed by friendly locals and landed a hostess job in the capital. But early last year, police officials in white buses began approaching people who “looked like” migrants on the streets, grabbing and detaining them to be deported, she said. “Now, we can’t go out,” she told Al Jazeera. “Sometimes we ask people who have papers to go and buy bread for us. “[The police] already caught me twice, and they asked me to pay 25,000 Mauritanian ouguiya [$62.3] each time. That’s too costly for me.” She is one of four people in Nouakchott who told Al Jazeera they fear being deported or worry about having to pay bribes amid a mass deportation campaign by the government. They have resorted to hiding in the shadows in a country they once felt welcome in, sneaking out at dusk and creeping back in the dark. Rights groups, including a United Nations expert panel, have raised concerns about the legality of arrests and forced deportations under international refugee law. Some have accused authorities of complicating the process of obtaining legal papers intentionally by delaying procedures to limit the number of those who can stay. Al Jazeera has contacted police and government officials in Mauritania for a response. Authorities have in the past said they are targeting only undocumented people. Typically, migrants are rounded up and deported without notice, with some unable to take their valuables with them. Mauritanian media have reported that hundreds of deportations of undocumented migrants took place in 2025, as well as of people whose permits had expired. Human Rights Watch, citing government figures, said 28,000 people were “expelled” in the first six months of 2025. Al Jazeera was unable to verify that figure independently. Aicha, a Sierra Leonean, told Al Jazeera that officers grabbed her at a market in February. She was then driven by police over to the border with Senegal, despite having a legal stay permit to work in Mauritania, she said. The officers seized her phone and asked her to pay a bribe, but she refused, she said, hoping her documents would protect her. She has since found her way back to Mauritania, but goes out only when she needs to. Others arrested by the police, including in their own homes, have reportedly been beaten in detention and said their valuables were stolen. Some locals are angry at the crackdown. Scores of young migrants used to line the capital’s wide streets offering cheap services as plumbers or electricians, or selling everyday items. But most have now disappeared. “We need them here,” one business owner who employs documented and irregular migrants said. Mauritania, a vast, sparsely populated desert country of just 4.5 million, sprawls on the edge of Northwest Africa. It is relatively near the Canary Islands, a Spanish enclave closer to Africa than to Europe, making it a populardeparture point for migrantsbraving the deadly Atlantic route that runs down to the Guinean coast. In 2023, the number of migrants leaving Mauritania rose to a record. About 80 percent of the 7,270 people who arrived in the Canaries in January 2024 travelled from Mauritania, migrant advocacy group Caminando Fronteras (CF) noted in a report. Tensions in the Sahel region, from Mali to Niger, where coups and attacks by various armed groups have prompted some to migrate and forced hundreds from their homes, have increased. In Mauritania, officials have blamed trafficking gangs and scaled up arrests of suspects since last year. On April 16, the police said they arrested members of two networks, including Mauritanians and people from a “neighbouring country”. Officials also arrested 12 people in a boat bound for the Canaries. In a bid to halt the flow of migrants, the European Union has sent funds to Mauritania, Niger and Morocco to support measures that dissuade undocumented people from boarding rickety boats that often capsize. Niger’s role as Europe’s Sahara guard, however, collapsed when the military seized power in a coup in 2023 and unseated the pro-Europe democratic government. Niamey has since turned away from its former Western allies to Russia. In February 2023, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen visited President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani in the Mauritanian capital to sign a 210-million-euro ($235m) “migrant partnership agreement” – a deal the EU said was to intensify “border security cooperation” with Frontex, the EU border agency, and dismantle smuggler networks. The bloc has since delivered two other packages: $100m focused on Mauritania’s economic growth, social cohesion, and migrant management, as well as an additional 4 million euros ($4.49m) in humanitarian aid. Mauritania appears to have been “pretty effective” as migrant arrivals to the Canary Islands from the country dropped by more than 80 percent between April and December 2025 compared with the previous year, said Hassan Ould Moctar, a lecturer at the United Kingdom’s SOAS University of London and author of After Border Externalisation. “For Mauritania, this is about a security issue, but it’s also about where its interests converge with those of the European Union,” Ould Moctar said, explaining that Mauritania is keen on keeping crime numbers low through surveillance. However, removing undocumented migrants has often not yielded those results, he said. “From my research, I’ve seen that [to] avoid overlaps between irregular migration and crime, [countries should improve] the conditions of entry and residence so that you don’t push people into the underground economy,” he said. “If you make it hard for people, there will be more blurred lines between migration … Routes are rerouted; they are never prevented. So they are doing something that tends to be counterproductive.” Mohamed, a 41-year-old Nigerian asylum seeker, had lived in Mauritania for about four years before the police arrests began. He first fled to Togo after the rise of the armed group Boko Haram. He had studied in an informal Islamic school in Nigeria’s Borno State, where Boko Haram originated, with some of the group’s members and fled when they began pressuring him to join them, he said. As a Muslim, he found his way to Mauritania, hoping to settle in a place where most follow his faith. Although Mohamed registered himself at the Mauritanian office of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), he said his documents have still not been processed and that he too has been arrested despite explaining his situation. “Whether you are an asylum seeker or not, they don’t care,” Mohamed, who works at a small private school, told Al Jazeera. He said he was detained along with several others in an unkempt room where daily prayers were impossible. The guards offered them poorly cooked food, he said. It was only after a friendly local he knew bribed the police that he was released. He now tries to “blend in” with the locals to avoid arrest by wearing the typical flowing boubou robe over a button-down shirt and oiling his normally textured hair into a sleek finish. “If I don’t do this, there’s no guarantee that I will get home today,” Mohamed said, accusing authorities of arresting people based on their skin colour and nationality. “They don’t arrest the fair Malians because they are the same.” As people like him try to find new ways to survive in Mauritania, migrants are also innovating. Ould Moctar, the researcher, said more are now leaving from The Gambia and Guinea, which are further down the coast. Boat journeys from those countries are lengthier and therefore more dangerous. Even Francina, who remains in Nouakchott, is looking for an open door. “My dream is to be a doctor one day,” she said. Although currently working a low-skilled job in Nouakchott, she said her career dreams give her a daily boost. “If I find a way out, to get to Canada or America or Europe, I will take it.”

Manfredonia – Una nave mercantile battente bandiera del Gambia è stata fermata nel porto di Manfredonia dalla Guardia Costiera a seguito di una serie di gravi irregolarità riscontrate durante un’ispezione. Il controllo, effettuato dal nucleo Port State Control della Capitaneria di Porto, rientra nelle attività di vigilanza sulle navi straniere e ha riguardato un’unità proveniente da La Valletta, Malta. Durante l’ispezione sono emerse criticità significative che hanno reso necessario il fermo immediato della nave. Tra le principali carenze segnalate: problemi ai mezzi di salvataggio e alle dotazioni antincendio, scarsa preparazione dell’equipaggio nelle procedure di emergenza e condizioni non adeguate della sala macchine, con possibili rischi di incendio e inquinamento. Non solo: gli ispettori hanno rilevato anche irregolarità nell’applicazione dei sistemi di gestione della sicurezza di bordo, elemento fondamentale per garantire standard operativi adeguati. Alla luce delle violazioni accertate, la nave resterà ferma in porto finché non saranno ripristinate tutte le condizioni minime di sicurezza. Solo dopo un’ulteriore verifica ispettiva potrà essere autorizzata a riprendere la navigazione. La Capitaneria sottolinea come questi controlli rappresentino uno strumento essenziale per la tutela della vita umana in mare, della sicurezza della navigazione e della salvaguardia dell’ambiente marino.

Si è conclusa a Molfetta l’edizione 2026 della “Settimana Blu”, l’iniziativa che promuove la cultura del mare, la sostenibilità e la tutela dell’ambiente costiero tra le giovani generazioni. L’evento ha coinvolto oltre 500 studenti di ogni ordine e grado grazie alla collaborazione tra l’Istituto “Amerigo Vespucci”, la Capitaneria di Porto e numerose realtà del territorio. Attività tra porto e laboratori Numerose le attività organizzate durante la settimana, tra laboratori didattici, visite e momenti formativi. Gli studenti hanno potuto cimentarsi nella realizzazione di nodi e reti, visitare simulatori di navigazione e laboratori di analisi delle acque marine, oltre a conoscere da vicino le attività della Capitaneria di Porto. Nel porto di Molfetta spazio anche al riconoscimento del pescato, alla visita del Museo del Mare e a dimostrazioni di salvamento acquatico. Esperienze in mare e cantieri Ampio spazio anche alle esperienze pratiche, con attività di navigazione a vela, a motore e a remi, e visite ai cantieri navali locali per scoprire il lavoro del “maestro d’ascia”. Non sono mancati momenti di riflessione su legalità e tutela dell’ambiente, con incontri e approfondimenti dedicati al tema della sostenibilità marina. Il rilascio delle tartarughe A chiudere la manifestazione, dopo una giornata di pulizia della spiaggia, è stato il rilascio in mare di tre tartarughe curate dal centro recupero del WWF. Un momento simbolico che ha coinvolto centinaia di studenti, suggellando una settimana all’insegna della consapevolezza ambientale.

Non chiamateli solo ‘controlli’, per i genovesi (e in particolare i tanti che vivono davanti alle zone portuali) il fumo bianco o nero che esce dai fumaioli delle navi non è solo un panorama: è una preoccupazione quotidiana. I dati del rapporto annuale 2025 della Capitaneria di Porto di Genova scattano una fotografia della situazione attuale, cosa è stato fatto, cosa dicono le leggi e cosa ancora deve essere fatto per limitare l'inquinamento, nell'ultimo anno sono state fermate Il contenuto è riservato agli abbonati. © Riproduzione riservata

Controlli serrati sulla sicurezza della navigazione nel porto di Manfredonia. La Capitaneria di porto – Guardia Costiera ha disposto il fermo di una nave mercantile battente bandiera Gambia, proveniente dal porto di La Valletta, a Malta, a seguito di una ispezione che ha evidenziato numerose e gravi irregolarità. Le verifiche e il fermo della nave L’intervento rientra nell’ambito delle attività di vigilanza sul naviglio straniero condotte dal nucleo ispettivo Port State Control. Durante i controlli, eseguiti secondo la normativa europea e nazionale in materia di sicurezza marittima, sono emerse criticità tali da rendere necessario il blocco immediato dell’unità. Le carenze riscontrate Tra le principali irregolarità rilevate figurano problemi legati all’efficienza dei mezzi di salvataggio e delle dotazioni antincendio, oltre a carenze nell’addestramento dell’equipaggio nella gestione delle emergenze. Gli ispettori hanno inoltre riscontrato criticità negli standard di manutenzione della sala macchine, con possibili rischi sia per la sicurezza sia per l’ambiente marino. Contestata anche la non corretta applicazione dei sistemi di gestione della sicurezza previsti dalle normative internazionali. Stop alla navigazione Alla luce delle gravi deficienze, la nave resterà ferma nel porto di Manfredonia fino al completo ripristino delle condizioni minime di sicurezza. Solo dopo un ulteriore controllo ispettivo, volto a verificare l’effettiva operatività dell’unità e dell’equipaggio, potrà eventualmente riprendere la navigazione. Il ruolo della Guardia Costiera L’operazione conferma il ruolo centrale della Guardia Costiera nel garantire la sicurezza dei traffici marittimi, la tutela della vita umana in mare e la protezione dell’ambiente. Un’attività di controllo tecnico-specialistico che, come sottolineato dal comandante della Capitaneria, rappresenta uno strumento fondamentale per prevenire incidenti e garantire il rispetto degli standard internazionali.

More than 1,300 Division I players entered thetransfer portalthis offseason, and while not all of them have located a new home yet, most of the biggest names have found their landing spots. The season is still six months away, but it’s already time to start imagining how all these players will fit in with their new teams, and swap our transfer portal ranking for a transfer portal fit ranking. Key stats: 13.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.5 SPG This is the perfect situation for both parties. The Gamecocks graduated two of their starting guards —Raven Johnsonand Ta’Niya Latson — and while they’re bringing in the No. 2 guard in the 2026 recruiting class, Jerzy Robinson, reloading from the portal was going to be key. Lee could be a starter or a dangerous sixth woman depending on how the competition for starting minutes shakes out. But this also gives her a chance to play in a system that has produced more WNBA guards than Texas in recent years, upping Lee’s 2028 draft stock. Dawn Staley has excelled with bringing in portal guards —Te-Hina Paopaoand Latson became starters in their first (or only) seasons with the program, and even Kierra Fletcher during the 2022-23 season was a vital part of that team. Lee figures to be the next guard in line, and helps elevate the Gamecocks to a likely No. 1 preseason ranking. Key stats: 7.9 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.0 SPG The Blue Devils lost their starting backcourt of Taina Mair and Ashlon Jackson, opening huge potential in Durham as that duo alone accounted for 38 percent of Duke’s shot attempts. Enter Crump: A player whose defensive mentality makes her an obvious fit in coach Kara Lawson’s system, but whose offensive potential — since we didn’t see everything she can do last season — could thrive with the Blue Devils. Duke was one of Crump’s three finalists as a high schooler when she ultimately picked Texas. She likely will be put in a position to play a lot of two-player movement withToby Fournier, and she’ll have a chance to extend her shooting range as well. At Texas, she shot only 32 percent on low volume, but we’ve seen her knock down triples before. During the U16 AmeriCup in 2023, Crump hit 39 percent of her long-range attempts. Key stats: 10.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.9 APG Any boomerang — a player who transfers away from a school and then back — is going to be an automatic great fit during the return, assuming the player comes back on good terms and that she picked up quality minutes and experience at her second stop. Aarnisalo did. She returns to UCLA after spending her sophomore sabbatical at UNC, where the Finnish guard’s minutes increased and her shooting improved significantly. On lower volume, Aarnisalo shot 40 percent from long range while her overall shooting improved to 47 percent. It’s a win-win for Aarnisalo and the Bruins — She gets to shoulder far more for UCLA, which lost six seniors to the WNBA, and the Bruins get as close to a plug-and-play transfer as possible, considering she already knows the system, the program and the coaches. Key stats: 15.3 PPG, 7.7 APG, 3.5 RPG Coach Kim Mulkey replaced Jada Richard with Jada Williams, giving the Tigers their sixth point guard in six seasons. But that turnstile at the position hasn’t hurt the program as it has advanced to six Elite Eights in that time. That means LSU knows how to speed along the process for a player who, like Williams, will have only one year with the program. At Iowa State last season, Williams ranked third in assists among power conference players with great assets around her such asAddy BrownandAudi Crooks. That doesn’t change at LSU. Swap Brown and Crooks forMiLaysia FulwileyandMikaylah Williams, and Williams should thrive. Key stats: 17.8 PPG, 3.2 APG, 5.3 RPG, 1.4 SPG Last season — when Carnegie was at Georgia and Chit Chat Wright was at Iowa — was the first time since the two were in sixth grade that they hadn’t played on a team together. So their reunion in Iowa City will be like a return to normal for both. Wright started 31 games in 2025-26 for the Hawkeyes, thriving in their system, and thoughIowalost Addie Deal as a transfer, plenty of talent returns with a rising junior core of Wright, Carnegie, Ava Heiden and Taylor Stremlow. Coach Jan Jensen needed to replace some outside shooting, which she gets in Carnegie, and having more ballhandlers in the mix is always a positive. Additionally, Carnegie is a great, active perimeter defender who can help create havoc on that end. That will be a necessary plus for Iowa this season — five of its seven losses came in its nine lowest turnover percentage performances. Key stats: 19.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.3 APG Even with Amaya Battle’s departure to the WNBA and Mallory Heyer’s decision to transfer toOregon, there’s enough talent in the Twin Cities for the resurgent Gophers. But coach Dawn Plitzuweit needed to secure an interior presence to make everything work. Merkle is that. At 6-6, she’s an anchor on both ends who can slot into that more traditional, back-to-the-basket position. (The Gophers scored a sixth of their points last season in post-ups.) She’s an excellent offensive rebounder, averaging the second-most O boards among power conference players this season. Creating those extra possessions for a team that returns its three leading scorers from a season ago (Tori McKinney, Grace Grocholski, Mara Braun) is good news. Key stats: 11.9 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 5.3 APG UCLA got a 6-2 forward who can handle physicality and contact on the inside and has an elite passing ability. Her 3-point shooting percentage was a career low in 2025-26, but over the past three seasons, she has knocked down nearly 37 percent of her shots from behind the arc. WithSienna Bettson the inside and a backcourt of Elina Aarnisalo and Donovyn Hunter, Brown will have freedom to roam and create. Further, UCLA will likely want to run with a shorter bench at times as it looks for personnel groupings, so the fact that Brown averaged 32 minutes a game during her freshman and sophomore seasons is a good sign (she averaged less this past year as she dealt with an injury). This move is also positive for Brown, who has a chance to move up the 2027 WNBA Draft board with a good season at UCLA. (It’s not unlike the potential upward movement from former UCLA guardGabriela Jaquezas a senior.) This freedom should also allow Brown to expand her game a bit and work on her own shot creation so she can prove to scouts that she can play the three at the next level. Key stats: 10.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.3 SPG Hunter brings crucial versatility to UCLA’s backcourt. At Oregon State, which played at a slower pace, she worked through a lot of pick-and-roll and spot-up situations. At TCU over the last two seasons, it was mostly spot-up and transition fueling her offense. The latter aligns a bit more with the Bruins, but her experience in both systems is an asset. Plus, her transferring experience — along with Aarnisalo’s own experience — makes her a good glue player in the backcourt. In her three years, she has played alongside three different crops of players. That should make for a smooth transition to UCLA to work with a new group of players. Key stats: 14.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.1 BPG Louisville’s returning rising junior core, which made it to the Elite Eight this season, gives the Cardinals a chance to build on the 2025-26 success. Replacing forward Laura Ziegler, who graduated after starting 37 games this season, was a big part of Louisville’s success in the portal. Good news for Baker: Coach Jeff Walz incorporated Ziegler into Louisville’s system quickly. She was a one-year transfer, like Baker will be, after playing her first three seasons at St. Joseph’s. Style-wise, Baker is a pretty good comp to Ziegler, so she should be able to fill that role and her minutes well. She’s a three-level scoring forward who has shot 39 percent from beyond the arc during her three-year career, bolstering the Cardinals’ 3-point shooting. (Louisville knocked down 7.6 triples a game this season — the most since the 2018-19 season.) Baker also has valuable length and versatility for defense and can make defensive plays without fouling. Key stats: 25.8 points per game, 7.7 rebounds per game, 1.7 assists per game Oklahoma State wasn’t necessarily an automatic frontrunnerwhen most were wondering where Crooks would transfer. However, that had less to do with the style of play than it did with the assumed level of program at which Crooks would want to play. At Iowa State, Crooks has never made it out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. In the same three-year span at Oklahoma State, the Cowgirls have made it to the Big Dance only twice, advancing out of the first round once. But when it comes to the actual play and remaining in conference, more lines up. Two aspects can accentuate what Crooks does best — a medium pace and floor space. Oklahoma State plays just slightly slower than Iowa State (72 possessions per game versus 74) but the spacing holds even better. Last season, the Cowgirls attempted the fourth-most 3-pointers per game at 26 (the Cyclones attempted 23). Coach Jacie Hoyt has gathered a potentially more talented 3-point shooting group. Spreading the floor like that will allow Crooks to work inside. Will this move allow her to expand her game to improve her 2027 draft stock? We’ll see. But in terms of a style-match transfer, this one could work quite well. Key stats: 12.4 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.4 SPG North Carolina lost its leading scorer and rebounder to graduation, forward Nyla Harris, and its entire starting backcourt (Indya Niva to graduation, Aarnisalo and Lanie Grant as transfers). Backfilling with talent and experience is a must, and with Akot, coach Courtney Banghart gets both. Akot has started 70 career games, including at Central Florida and Oklahoma State, and she has improved every season. She’s an active defender and an excellent offensive rebounder (among power conference players, Akot ranked 15th last season with 4.1 O boards a game). Banghart worked Harris into the mix after three seasons at Louisville, so that context will be helpful as Akot jells with an entirely new group, too. Key stats: 13.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.2 SPG BetweenMikayla Blakesand Aubrey Galvan, Vanderbilt has a fearsome one-two punch, but coach Shea Ralph needed to add some size and skill on the inside to elevate the Commodores after losing Sacha Washington to graduation. They are welcoming two top-50 recruits, including 6-3 forward Jhai Johnson, but Woolfolk’s experience, post-up skills and off-ball movement will instantly enrich Vanderbilt, alongside Blakes and Galvan. Key stats: 14.9 PPG, 3.8 APG, 3.3 RPG, 1.2 SPG Louisville needed to replace Reyna Scott’s production and minutes, and it did so by staying in conference with Jones. She joins the Cardinals’ talented sophomore trio of Tajianna Roberts, Imari Berry and Mackenly Randolph. She’s an experienced ballhandler, 3-point shooter and defender who was a high-usage player and made a big jump as a sophomore. Last season, the Cardinals went 2-5 in their seven worst assist-to-turnover ratio games, so adding another experienced ballhandler in Jones makes sense for the Cardinals to take the next step. Key stats: 10.8 PPG, 2.3 APG, 1.9 RPG With Jadyn Wooten (Oklahoma State transfer) stepping into the departed shoes ofOlivia Milesand her pick-and-roll prowess, the Horned Frogs needed a deadeye, spot-up 3-point shooter. More than 63 percent of TCU’s 3-pointers last season were spot-up 3s, making Grant a perfect fit as she shot 45 percent on spot-up 3-pointers in 2025-26 and 42 percent overall from behind the arc (while attempting five triples a game). Key stats: 15.3 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.2 SPG Maryland coach Brenda Frese is as good as anyone at incorporating transfers quickly into her system while sustaining a high postseason ceiling. Case in point: In the last four seasons, Maryland’s leading or second-leading (or sometimes, both) scorer was a first-year transfer. The Terrapins return two full-season starters inOluchi Okananwaand Addi Mack, but needed to shore up their interior. Agara, a 6-2 forward, should excel in Maryland’s pace and how she works in the paint, plus the Terrapins are great at getting to the free-throw line (21 attempts per game last season). Agara ranked among the top five percent of players nationally last season in free-throw attempts. Key stats: 16.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 2.7 SPG With one season of eligibility remaining, Cooper is making a third stop on her SEC tour, after playing at South Carolina and Tennessee. With the Rebels graduating their top three scorers, coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin needed to find instant sparks. Given how Cooper adjusted in Tennessee’s system over the past two seasons, this fit looks like it will work. At Ole Miss, Cooper should hone her talents more and put more on tape for WNBA scouts, displaying her two-way abilities, athleticism and defensive discipline. Key stats: 12.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.1 APG Michigan was 0-5 in its worst rebounding performances in 2025-26 (based on total rebounding percentage), so shoring up the inside was a necessity as the Wolverines return four starters from the Elite Eight squad. At 6-1, Ogden isn’t going to tower over anyone, but she can help in the rebounding category and will be a reliable paint scorer who can also connect from all three levels. Coach Kim Barnes Arico should have a lot of versatility with her 2026-27 team, so the lack of any player over 6-3 on the roster should be something she can account for in different ways with an experienced, cohesive group that’s on the hunt for a Final Four berth. Key stats: 12.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.3 APG, 2.0 SPG With Grant and Aarnisalo headed to the portal and Nivar (a fellow Stanford-to-UNC transfer) having graduated, Banghart needed to boost her backcourt. Getting Clardy is a definite positive. She’s a very good defender who should be able to slot in well to UNC’s disciplined defense as well as sharing a backcourt and ballhandling duties alongsideReniya Kelly. Key stats: 10.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.3 BPG In coach Tina Langley’s final season atRicein 2020-21, the Owls won the WNIT on the shoulders of 6-9 Nancy Mulkey. Trygger is only 6-6, but Langley has experience in crafting a team around a tall (and lanky) center. The Huskies didn’t roll super deep last season — only six players averaged 15-plus minutes per game and four of those players return. With Trygger securing the paint, and leading scorers Sayvia Sellers and Avery Howell back, Washington becomes much more interesting entering Langley’s sixth season. Key stats: 15.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.1 SPG Of Notre Dame’s top seven players from 2025-26, onlyHannah Hidalgoreturns. The Irish have five top-100 signees in the 2026 class, and Leah Macy — the former five-star forward in the 2025 class who medically redshirted last season — should be back on the floor next season. With talent and youth, Notre Dame isn’t necessarily in a terrible position, but bringing in another veteran, disciplined ballhandler alongside All-American Hidalgo make Notre Dame even stronger. Better yet for coach Niele Ivey: Hidalgo and St. Rose have already shared a backcourt together — they played for the same AAU team as high schoolers (and against one another, as well). This article originally appeared inThe Athletic. 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