MSU’s Darian White drives into transfer portal

BOZEMAN — One of the most decorated women’s basketball players in Montana State history, Darian White, is going to play her final collegiate season somewhere else.

White spent four seasons at MSU; after being named freshman of the year in 2019-20 she earned first-team all-Big Sky Conference honors the last three.

The Boise native averaged 14.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists this past season, when the Bobcats tied for the Big Sky’s regular-season championship. As a graduate transfer she’ll have one year of eligibility left.

“I’m so thankful for my coaches and everyone who has believed in me these past 4 years,” White wrote on Twitter Tuesday night. “I want to explore the next phase of my basketball career that Montana State has created for me.

“With that being said I have decided to enter the transfer portal.”

In 2021-22 the 5-foot-6 guard averaged 15.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists as the Bobcats went 22-13 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history. As a sophomore she led the team in scoring (14.6) and rebounding (5.1) and averaged 2.7 steals; she leaves with 1,670 points, 254 steals, 435 assists and 599 rebounds for her career.

Only two MSU players have scored more points than White, who twice was also named the Big Sky’s defensive player of the year.