Indiana women's defensive stopper Lexus Bargesser enters the transfer portal

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana women's basketball guard Lexus Bargesser has entered the transfer portal, per a report from On3Sports.

Bargesser led the Hoosiers in minutes off the bench each of the last two seasons while building a reputation as a facilitator and defensive stopper.

As a sophomore, she played a key role in helping IU lock up a top seed in the 2024 Tournament. She averaged 32.4 minutes during an eight-game stretch while stepping into the starting lineup for an injured Sydney Parrish.

“She's such a great kid, she's such a great teammate,” Moren said at the time. “She wants to contribute. She wants to know what that looks like for her…we keep saying the same thing, what you’re doing is exactly what we need you to do.”

Bargesser, who signed with Indiana in 2022 as a top 100 prospect out of Grass Lake High School in Michigan, worked hard during the offseason to improve her jump shot to draw some more attention from opposing defenses. It gave her a bit more confidence to attempt shows from 3-point range, but the results were mixed, with her overall shooting percentage dropping from 49.1% to 35.9%.

She averaged 3.4 points and 1.8 assists per game, and her 7.7 points per 40 minutes was a career low.

Bargesser's departure comes on the heels of Julianna LaMendola announced plans to transfer on Tuesday morning. The transfer portal will be open from March 24 to April 22 this year.

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.