Veteran Mizzou guard Lauren Hansen enters the transfer portal

A consistent starter for Missouri women's basketball has entered the transfer portal.

Lauren Hansen, a starter for the last two seasons and the hero that took down No. 1 South Carolina in 2021, is in the portal, the Tribune has learned.

Hansen is the first player to depart the program this offseason, which becomes a pivotal one for Missouri. The Tribune reported in February she would be using her extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA during the COVID-19 pandemic for one last season.

A source indicated Hansen entered the portal last Friday. MU athletics told the Tribune Hansen officially entered the portal on Tuesday.

Indications then were that Hansen would return to MU. Now, she's looking to find a home to spend her last year of eligibility.

Hansen transferred to MU from Auburn and has played in 84 games as a Tiger, starting 62.

She became a regular starter in the 2021-2022 season, averaging 10.9 points per game. Hansen finishes her MU career with 889 points, averaging 10.6 points per game.

Her time at MU peaked when she scored a game-winning layup to beat No. South Carolina in overtime. That was the last time any team has beaten the Gamecocks in the regular season. That layup was replayed over and over again during the pregame introduction video in Mizzou Arena prior to every home game this season.

Hansen's departure opens a scholarship for coach Robin Pingeton to use in the transfer portal herself. After MU's season ended against Kansas on March 20, Pingeton noted MU would be recruiting the portal hard.

Now, Pingeton can sign multiple players in the portal.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Veteran Mizzou guard Hansen enters the transfer portal