IOWA CITY — Former Iowa women’s basketball forward Teagan Mallegni is transferring to Wisconsin, the university announced April 18.
The move is a logical one for Mallegni, who will have two years of eligibility remaining after entering the transfer portal the first day it opened on April 6. The Wisconsin native will now be playing collegiately just nine miles from her old stomping grounds at McFarland High School.
A 6-foot-1 sophomore who offered 3-point potential mostly at the “4” position, Mallegni’s second year with the Hawkeyes never really got off the ground. She appeared in just 15 games after playing in 30 as a freshman, averaging 5.5 minutes, 1.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. Mallegni shot just 24% from the field (8-for-33) and 15% from deep (3-for-20) in her final year with the Hawkeyes.
After missing Iowa’s two NCAA Tournament games last season with an ill-timed concussion suffered in practice, Mallegni hoped injuries were behind her entering her sophomore campaign. But an ankle injury suffered in Iowa’s exhibition win over Ashland on Oct. 30 kept the turbulence coming. She didn’t make her season debut until Iowa’s third game of the year against Drake.
Mallegni had two points in five minutes against the Bulldogs on Nov. 13 and totaled 11 minutes in Iowa’s next three games versus UNI, Baylor and Miami. She then had to have her tonsils removed the week of Nov. 24 once the Hawkeyes returned from the WBCA Showcase. Mallegni didn’t play again until Dec. 13 against Lindenwood, scoring five points in three minutes.
By that point, freshman Journey Houston had largely passed Mallegni in the main rotation. From there, Mallegni played double-digit minutes in just three games — all blowouts — against Penn State (Dec. 28), Purdue (Feb. 19) and Wisconsin (March 1).
Iowa’s 81-52 win over the Badgers did give Mallegni a chance to shine back in her home state. With numerous friends and family looking on at Kohl Center, Mallegni put up 10 points, two rebounds, four assists and two steals in a season-high 15 minutes.
For all the new-age reasons why players enter the transfer portal, this one simply feels like an old-school search for more playing time. With Wisconsin showing signs of life last season — the Badgers’ 16 wins tied for their most since the 2010-11 campaign — Mallegni should slide into an elevated role right away.
Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Former Iowa women’s basketball forward Teagan Mallegni transfers to Wisconsin
Reporting by Dargan Southard, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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