American Athletic Conference teams had two of the nation's top-10 incoming transfer classes, as Charlotte and Vanderbilt were cited by ILWomen for their success in the transfer portal.

Vanderbilt's transfer class was ranked No. 5 by ILWomen as the Commodores added six players from the portal. Headlining that group is draw specialist Maddie Barkate, who registered 119 draw controls in 2024 at Harvard.

“I am thrilled to welcome these six incredible student-athletes to our program,” said Vanderbilt head coach Beth Hewitt. “Each one brings unique qualities and skill sets crucial to our success, both on and off the field. They represent a range of positions and come from winning programs, bringing championship-level experience.”

Charlotte, which begins its first season of intercollegiate lacrosse in 2025, had the No. 8-rated transfer class as the 49ers signed 12 players with experience at other institutions. Isa Torres and Claire Schotta come to Charlotte by way of Virginia Tech, while former Cincinnati attack Kylie Gioia remains in The American after she had 50 goals with 28 assists in 50 career games with the Bearcats.

"We worked diligently for the past few months to secure high-caliber lacrosse players within the transfer portal," said Charlotte head coach Claire Short.  "Transfers are important when building an inaugural program, as they can bring knowledge, in-game experience, leadership, and college lacrosse exposure. We are thrilled with the talent level this group will bring us this season. We're excited to showcase their success on the field this spring."