Early last week a social media post stated there are more than 1,200 women’s basketball players across the three NCAA divisions who have put their names in the transfer portal.

Of those, some 900-plus came from Division I.

So it really shouldn’t be a surprise that Oregon and Oregon State have lost two players each to the obviously popular portal.

First it was Oregon State’s Sasha Goforth, a five-star guard who started all 20 games during her COVID-freshman season for the Beavers, announcing she was leaving to be closer to her home of Fayetteville, Arkansas.

It was, no doubt, a blow to the Beavers and a shock to the fan base. How could someone who had such tremendous success leave after just one season?

Soon after, fellow freshman Savannah Samuel opted to find a new home and entered the portal.

Goforth certainly will play closer to home as she signed almost immediately with Arkansas, located in her hometown. Of course, that did not sit well with many in Beaver Nation with the memory of Destiny Slocum leaving Oregon State for the Razorbacks a year ago still fresh in their minds.

Some thought there were some shady shenanigans with how quickly she signed with Arkansas, but as her father stated on Twitter, there really was no other school she wanted to play for.

Samuel, from Georgia, will continue her playing career at West Virginia as the Mountaineers made that announcement Friday.

Oregon lost two veteran guards as junior Taylor Chavez and sophomore Jaz Shelley opted to enter the transfer portal. The Ducks have plenty of young talent but both players will be missed, no doubt.

There are any number of reasons players choose to leave. In the case of Goforth it was to play closer to home. Samuel did not make an announcement about her decision.

There’s no doubt last season had to be difficult on both as they were not allowed to see their families, attend classes or do much of anything due to precautions surrounding the coronavirus.

Some have wondered if they left because of the talent that is coming in over the next couple seasons. Having watched both play, I’m thinking that fear of competing for playing time would not be a concern. Goforth showed signs of being one of the best players to come through the program. And Samuel more than held her own when she got the opportunity.

Others have said playing time is an issue, and that is certainly a valid reason for many players. While you can argue they should stick it out and be loyal, remember that a college career lasts just four seasons (longer with a redshirt year) and they will never get that time back.

It’s certainly hard on fans who want to get to know and root for the players for four seasons. I think we would all love to see that happen. The one-and-done rule in men’s basketball has been as bad or worse as far as that goes.

Others have said they have a moral obligation to stay for four years. To be honest, the players have the same moral obligation to stay at a school as a coach does — coaches can easily jump ship at the next best opportunity.

I was always in favor of one free transfer with no sitting out a year to allow athletes an opportunity to not be punished for realizing the situation they thought was right for them at 16 or 17 years of age isn’t what fits their needs and desires at 19 or 20.

In a perfect world I would have loved to watch Goforth and Samuel play at Oregon State for the next three years. With those two, coupled with what the Beavers have coming in the next few years, who knows how good they could have been?

But I would much rather have both players find a place that makes them the happiest on and off the court.

The transfer portal appears to be here to stay.

We might as well get used to it.