Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes Youngstown State sophomore Sophia Gregory (21) moves past Green Bay’s Meghan Schultz in the first half at the Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis on March 10.

The Youngstown State women’s basketball team may have lost one of it’s key contributors.

On Saturday, forward Sophia Gregory posted on her Instagram her intent to enter the transfer portal.

This past season, Gregory was a key piece to the Penguins’ defense, which finished first in the Horizon League by averaging 57.7 points allowed per game. The West Branch product led the league in rebounding (8.7 per game) and defensive rebounds (6.5) and was second to teammate Paulina Hernandez in blocks (1.5).

The 6-2 sophomore scored 11 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out two assists and blocked a pair of shots during YSU’s meeting with Green Bay in the Horizon League championship on March 10.

In the Penguins’ two WNIT games, she averaged 10 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, one block and 2.5 steals.

Her effort in the Penguins’ end of the court resulted in her being named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. Additionally, she was named second team All-Horizon League.

Gregory averaged 10.5 points per game and shot 55.2% from the field this winter. Both were better than the numbers she put up in her first season in 2024-25.

That season, Gregory was named the Horizon League Freshman of the Year and made the league’s All-Freshman team. She became the third Penguin to win Freshman of the Year.

The Penguins also saw junior guard Bella Samz and redshirt freshman Ashlynn Van Tassell enter the transfer portal.

Samz appeared in 58 games for the Penguins. She averaged 0.7 points, 0.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists this season.

Van Tassell only appeared in 10 games this winter.