It has been a busy week for Seton Hall women’s basketball, with the program announcing several returning players, navigating major transfer portal losses and celebrating postseason honors.
Amidst it all, the program also announced several players returning for next season.
Throughout the week, the team shared posts to Instagram confirming that junior guard Savannah Catalon, senior guard Shailyn Pinkney, sophomore guard Ja’kahla Craft, freshman guard Ari Woodard, junior forward Savanna Jones, and freshman guard / forward Jada Snow will return for the 2026–2027 season. This group gives SHU a solid core to build around after losing several key players this offseason.
Catalon headlines the returners after one of the best seasons in program history. The unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team guard averaged a team-high 13.1 points while leading the conference in free throw percentage and finishing second in steals with 2.8 per game. She also reached double figures 25 times and proved to be a leader on both ends of the floor. With several key players leaving, Catalon may be asked to raise her game even more if the Pirates want to stay near the top of the BIG EAST.
Craft is another name to watch after taking a clear jump this past season. She averaged 6.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in a bigger role. She showed her talent with a career-high 26 points on a perfect 11-for-11 shooting performance against DePaul on Feb. 14. With more minutes for Kraft next season, the Pirates could be expecting an even bigger step forward from her.
Along with the returning players, several Pirates earned All-Met honors from the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association. Catalon was named to the First Team, while freshman guard Zahara Bishop earned Rookie of the Year honors. Graduate forward Mariana Valenzuela also picked up recognition with a Second Team selection, showing the depth of talent that was on this year’s roster.
It’s another year in the NIL era, which means a ton of transfers throughout the NCAA. In the transfer portal, senior guard Jordana Codio committed to Georgia on April 18, Bishop to Auburn on April 21, freshman guard Natalia Hall-Rosa to Boston College on April 25 and sophomore guard Jada Eads to Tennessee on April 26. With three of those players being starters gone, head coach Anthony “Tony” and the Pirates SHU have big shoes to fill come the fall.
The portal activity is part of a larger trend across SHU basketball this offseason.
During the transfer portal window from April 6 to April 21, both the men’s and women’s programs saw a high number of players enter, creating one of the most active offseasons in school history. While the women’s team managed to keep a strong core, both teams still have a lot of work to do.
If the returning group and the newest transfers can develop and take the next step, The Hall has a chance to continue to compete at the highest level in the BIG East. But with key players gone, the pressure will be on for the Pirates to prove they can make noise this season.
Jaden Highsmith is the assistant editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at jaden.highsmith@student.shu.edu.
