BOZEMAN — Citing the desire to explore her basketball options, Montana State's Kola Bad Bear announced Tuesday that she is entering the transfer portal for her final year of college eligibility.
Bad Bear made the announcement in a social media post, writing, "I want to explore the next step of my basketball career that Montana State has created for me. With that being said, I have decided to enter the transfer portal with 1 year of eligibility remaining."
Thank you Bobcat Nation 💛💙 pic.twitter.com/W6uNbkfzTe
— Koko (@Kola_BadBear) April 12, 2023
Bad Bear, a 6-foot-2 post out of Billings Senior High School, came of age in the past two seasons, averaging 10.9 points per game in 2021-22 and 9.8 this past season. She averaged 5.0 rebounds per game in each of those campaigns.
In 2021-22, Bad Bear was named the team's co-MVP with guard Darian White while helping the Bobcats advance to the NCAA tournament. In 2022-23, Bad Bear was named second-team All-Big Sky. In four seasons, Bad Bear appeared in 114 games, starting 78, while averaging 7.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting .438 from the field.
Off the court, Bad Bear, a member of the Crow Tribe, lent her voice and was active in raising awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) and Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) causes.
"Thank you bobcat nation for all the love and support you have given me," Bad Bear wrote. "I'm forever grateful for my family, coaches, teammates and community."
