The transfer portal giveth and taketh. Just ask Maryland women’s basketball.

Only a month removed from landing 6-foot-6 center Gracie Merkle from Penn State, the Terps lost Merkle, who announced her decision to withdraw from the team and return to the Nittany Lions.

Merkle finished her redshirt sophomore year averaging 15.5 points and 8.6 rebounds in 28 games including 26 starts in her first season with the Nittany Lions. She converted 67% of her shots (187 of 279) and blocked 1.5 shots per game.

Merkle had previously spent two years at Bellarmine. She proved she could keep up with Big Ten competition, including scoring 24 points on 11 of 13 shooting (84.6%) and grabbing seven rebounds in 25 minutes in an 82-73 loss to Maryland on Jan. 29.

Merkle was part of a four-member transfer class that had earned the Terps positive reviews as they try to stay competitive in the conference with foes like USC, UCLA and Michigan.

It is fair to wonder how much Merkle’s arrival played a role in 6-2 redshirt senior power forward Allie Kubek’s decision to enter the transfer portal on April 21. Kubek, who began her career at Towson and committed to Florida State on May 4, ranked third on the team this past winter in rebounds per game (4.7) and fifth in points per game (9.1) in 33 games, including 21 starts.

Now Maryland will have to hit the reset button on its depth in the post.