Kansas City Roos’ junior forward Dani Winslow officially stepped down from the women’s basketball team and will be entering the transfer portal.

Her decision comes after being absent for the past couple of games.

“I felt that for my mental and physical health, leaving UMKC was the best decision for me,” Winslow said. 

The Olathe, Kansas native started her career at Missouri State in 2020 before transferring to UMKC after one season. With the guidance of former coach Jacie Hoyt, Winslow emerged as a rotational defender for the 23-win Roos’ squad last year.

Winslow played a pivotal role for Kansas City as a starter early this season. Her 11.1 rebounds per game place her 11th overall in the National Collegiate Athletic Association for Women’s Basketball. She had the game of a lifetime against Tennessee State on Nov. 11, where she reeled in a Kansas City record-setting 24 rebounds. After that performance, she piled up seven 10+ rebound games.

The defensive-minded forward also utilized her 6’2” height to rack up numerous steals and blocks, making her hard to score on. 

After playing almost 36.5 minutes per game between Nov. 7 and Dec. 11, her minutes slowly started decreasing with each game. In her final contest this season against South Dakota State, she played only 15 minutes. She did not play after the Roos’ 54-86 loss to the Jackrabbits. 

“We are fully supportive of Dani’s, or any other student athlete’s choice when it comes to their individual decisions,” said Kansas City’s head coach Dionnah Jackson-Durrett. “We wish her nothing but the best.”