Mizzou women’s basketball’s first transfer portal loss is significant because guard is departing the team after just one season. She is still eligible for one more year.
In the first season, Dowell was a revelation for coach Kellie Harper, averaging 14.9 points as the team’s second-highest scorer. She also contributed 6.1 rebounds, making her the ideal offensive counterbalance to Grace Slaughter, whose return for her senior year has already been confirmed.
Due to Averi Kroenke’s preseason injury, the guard was the main ball handler this season. She averaged career-highs in both assists (2.3) and turnovers (3.5) per game as a result of this shift.
With 21 points in the season opener and 30 versus Southern Illinois later that month, Dowell made a big impression right away. She missed four games due to an injury in mid-December, which also affected her productivity for the majority of January. Despite a 3-point effort against Alabama in the SEC Tournament, Dowell struggled for the most of SEC play, ending eight games below her points average. She did, however, put up some impressive performances, including a career-tying 33 points against Oklahoma in the regular season finale.
After receiving little attention after high school, Dowell attended Illinois State for two years before moving to Mizzou. Harper and the rest of her staff were interested in her after she averaged 17.6 points and 5.2 rebounds during her final season as a Redbird.
Dowell’s departure creates a significant void in the Mizzou program. However, that means the Tigers now have a roster position that they could try to fill. Because Slaughter can play either the 3 or the 4 to make room for a possible new transfer, they can bring in a smaller forward or an off-guard. Dowell’s departure marks the beginning of Mizzou women’s basketball’s transfer portal craze. Fasten your seatbelt.
