“The hate is not necessary” – USC transfer Talia von Oelhoffen opens up about facing criticism for leaving Oregon

USC transfer Talia von Oelhoffen opens up about facing criticism for leaving Oregon

After four years of playing for the Oregon State Beavers, Talia von Oelhoffen announced her transfer to the USC Trojans for her remaining college eligibility years. The news was met with a lot of criticism from fans, and von Oelhoffen spoke on this in an interview with On3 HER.

“Having opinions is one thing but people getting the facts wrong doesn’t sit right with me,” the guard said. “Not everyone’s gonna get on social media and defend themselves or their teammates, but that was something that was important for me. We’re all great people who made decisions for the right reasons so the hate is not necessary or warranted.”

Along with Talia von Oelhoffen, eight other players entered the transfer portal. In a tweet from April, the guard revealed that the team came to the decision after talking to each other.

“Yes, we did. prior to anyone entering. we support and love each other and y’all should too. so excited to watch each of them thrive wherever they may end up and proud of everyone for making a hard decision to do what’s best for them. the hate is unnecessary & ugly,” she wrote.

Talia von Oelhoffen explains the reason behind choosing USC

The USC Trojans came close to winning the 2024 March Madness but exited after the Elite Eight loss to the UConn Huskies. Riding solely on the performance of JuJu Watkins, it was evident that the team needed more talent. This made the Trojans the new hotspot for talent to transfer to, something that Talia von Oelhoffen reiterated.

“For me, it was just the opportunities in LA, playing for Coach Lindsay,” the guard said (via On3). “I think the pro-style they play translates to the W[NBA], which is my ultimate goal.”

“Just the opportunity to play point guard for potentially a national championship team under Coach Lindsay, who sends people to the W and is just so smart in so many ways and an amazing staff, amazing players, I loved everything about it.”

Besides von Oelhoffen, the Trojans added Kiki Iriafen from the portal and top-ranked recruit Kennedy Smith. USC ranks No. 1 in the recruiting class for 2024.

With all the pieces in place, the USC Trojans are one of the top contenders for the NCAA title in 2025, along with South Carolina Gamecocks and UConn Huskies.

What are your thoughts about Talia von Oelhoffen and her prospects with the new team? Let us know in the comment section below.