Former UConn guard Ines Bettencourt returns to Gonzaga for 5th year after entering transfer portal

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MARCH 20: Ines Bettencourt #8 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs dribbles the ball against the Ole Miss Rebels in the fourth quarter during a first round game of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. (Carlos Gonzalez/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) Former UConn women's basketball player Ines Bettencourt will remain at Gonzaga for the 2026-27 season after reportedly entering the transfer portal last month.

>Bettencourt's return was not previously announced, but she was listed on the Gonzaga roster, which was published on the program's website Monday evening. The Portuguese international wore No. 8 last season, but that number now belongs to incoming Denver transfer Jocelyn Medina, so Bettencourt has switched to No. 0.

>Bettencourt was a senior with the Bulldogs last season, starting all 33 games in the backcourt. However, she joined numerous college athletes around the country in seeking a fifth year of eligibility after a court ruling extended the NCAA's new five-for-five eligibility framework to Division I athletes who began competing in 2022-23.

>This ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney, ultimately did not override existing NCAA transfer rules or roster limits. Therefore, because Bettencourt did not enter the transfer portal during the initial April window, it was unclear whether the Portuguese international would have been permitted to transfer to another school ahead of the 2026-27 season.

>Bettencourt arrived in Storrs ahead of the 2022-23 season from a bit outside Geno Auriemma's typical recruiting radar - she was born on the Portuguese island of São Miguel in the Azores and initially committed to the junior college program Northwest Florida State. The 5-foot-9 guard played an unexpectedly large role during her freshman year as the UConn roster was ravaged by injuries, averaging more than 15 minutes per game during a one-month stretch that began in December 2022.

>Her spot in the rotation faded the following season, and she played just three total minutes in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Bettencourt committed to Gonzaga out of the transfer portal after her sophomore year. Bettencourt and Gonzaga reached the NCAA Tournament last season, but the senior guard struggled with middling shooting efficiency and a high turnover rate.

>While Bettencourt moved across the country to Gonzaga - the Spokane-based Jesuit college is only slightly closer to Storrs than her home island of São Miguel - she has maintained a close connection with many of her former UConn women's basketball teammates. Last November, Paige Bueckers participated in a Gonzaga practice and attended the Bulldogs' matchup with Colorado State the following day while wearing Bettencourt's Portugal international jersey.

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