Rutgers Women’s Basketball Lands Former Howard Forward Zennia Thomas in the Transfer Portal

COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 21: Zennia Thomas #24 of the Howard Bison controls the ball as Kylee Kitts #1 of the Ohio State Buckeyes defends during the first quarter of a game in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Jerome Schottenstein Center on March 21, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Rutgers women’s basketball has added a piece to its front court in the transfer portal as former Howard forward Zennia Thomas has committed to play for the Scarlet Knights, according to a post made by The Knight Report. Thomas is coming to Piscataway for her final season after beginning her career at Kentucky, where she was for two seasons, before she transferred to the Bison for the next two seasons.

Last season, the 6-foot-2 forward averaged a team-high 15.2 points and 7.9 rebounds for the Bison, who won the MEAC championship last year.

Thomas committed to Kentucky after having a breakout senior season at Warrensville Heights High School in Ohio. She finished her senior season with 30.6 points and 14.5 rebounds per game and earned Lake Erie League and District Player of the Year honors. She saw limited minutes during her first year at Kentucky, averaging only 4 minutes per game.

It should be noted that she played only the first seven games of her sophomore season with the Wildcats, missing the rest due to being suspended for a disciplinary matter that was being handled internally. No further information could be found as to the nature of this issue, but Kentucky head coach Kyra Elzy had this to say about her suspension.

“We hold our players to a high standard at Kentucky. Unfortunately, when someone does not consistently meet those standards, I have to make the tough decision to dismiss them from the program. We wish Zennia and her family nothing but the best moving forward.”