It has been a quiet two weeks for Ohio State women’s basketball after the Buckeye fell to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. In those weeks, hundreds of players expressed their intent to enter the portal when it opened on Monday, but none on the 11-player Ohio State roster. That changed on Monday when guard Dasha Biriuk announced on Instagram her entrance into the portal.
Biriuk made 20 appearances for the Buckeyes this season, and nine came in Big Ten play.
The guard never broke through into a consistent spot on Ohio State’s roster when head coach Kevin McGuff decided instead to go with fellow freshman Bryn Martin.
When Biriuk did play, she showed glimpses of offensive prowess, something that McGuff touted early in the season when the Ukranian guard played most of her minutes. Biriuk’s best game came against Niagara University where she scored 25 points in 26 minutes. In that game, Biriuk went 5-for-6 beyond the arc.
The guard’s family moved to the United States in 2022 during the Russian invasion of their home nation. After Biriuk arrived, she began playing at The Webb School where her side won the Tennessee state title twice in three seasons. As a senior, Biriuk earned MVP honors as The Webb School pulled off a triple-overtime victory in the state championship game.
At Ohio State, Biriuk had to prove her play on both sides of the ball to get into McGuff’s high pressure defense and quick offense. While the guard showed scoring ability, at the start of the season, McGuff commented on Biriuk’s need to continue to grow in the defense while Martin came into the program with previous knowledge of the pressing defensive set.
As of publishing, Biriuk is the only Buckeye to enter the portal. With changes in 2025 with the portal dates, it is only open for 14 days. Other Ohio State players can enter until April 20, 2026, unless there is a graduate transfer situation with guard Kennedy Cambridge, who already told media after the loss to Notre Dame that she would return to Columbus for her final season.
