Wisconsin landed former Iowa guard Addie Deal in the transfer portal this week, giving the Badgers a former McDonald’s All-American and one of the top recruits in the Class of 2025. Deal, who starred at Mater Dei, fills a clear need for Wisconsin as Robin Pingeton and her staff keep working the roster this offseason.
Deal averaged 5.1 points, 1.6 assists and 1.2 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per game as a freshman at Iowa this season, while shooting under 40 percent from the field and under 30 percent from three. She also made the All-Big Ten freshman team. For Wisconsin, the addition is notable because Deal was the first Badgers player ever to have been a McDonald’s All-American in high school, and she arrived in college as the No. 1 player in California and the No. 9 overall recruit, according to 247Sports.
The move comes as Wisconsin women’s basketball has been making major moves in the transfer portal, with four players entering so far. That has left Pingeton with both openings to fill and opportunities to reshape the lineup, and Deal gives the Badgers a combo guard who arrives with high-end recruiting pedigree and a season of Big Ten experience already behind her.
The tension for Wisconsin is not whether Deal can help in the long run, but how quickly she can translate that resume into production for a team that has already seen substantial roster turnover. Her freshman season showed flashes, not polish, and the Badgers are betting that a bigger role and a fresh start will turn promise into impact.
For a program trying to rebuild through the portal, this is the kind of addition that changes the tone of an offseason. Deal is not just another name on the list. She is a player whose background, ranking and freshman-year production make her one of the most important pieces Wisconsin has added so far.
