UCLA Women's Basketball Navigates the Transfer Portal: A Period of Change and Future Aspirations
The UCLA Bruins women's basketball team, led by coach Cori Close, is undergoing a significant transformation as they navigate the complexities of the transfer portal. Following a promising 2024-2025 season that saw them reach the Final Four, the Bruins are facing roster adjustments with key players entering the portal and new talent arriving to fill the gaps. This article delves into the recent departures, incoming players, and the overall outlook for the team as they aim for continued success in the upcoming seasons.
Departures and Roster Changes
The Bruins have experienced notable departures, with several players entering the transfer portal. Standouts Janiah Barker and Londynn Jones, both highly-ranked prospects from the class of 2022, have decided to continue their careers elsewhere. Barker, the No. 3-ranked prospect, spent one season with UCLA after transferring from Texas A&M, where she was the highest-ranked recruit in program history. In her single season with the Bruins, the 6-foot-4 forward averaged 7.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 17.4 minutes per game, often coming off the bench in place of graduate student forward Angela Dugalić. The arrival of Sienna Betts - No. 2 recruit in the class of 2024 and the McDonald’s All-American MVP - could have further impacted Barker’s minutes off the bench next season.
Jones, the No. 22 prospect of the same class, played for UCLA for three seasons, emerging as a starter in the past two. The 5-foot-4 guard averaged 8.5 points per game, fourth most on the team, and was one of the Bruins' top 3-point shooters at 35.1%. Jones set UCLA’s single-season record for 3-pointers made with 87 in the 2023-2024 season, when she averaged 12.6 points per game. She has since landed with Big Ten rivals USC.
Adding to the roster turnover, the Bruins' entire freshman class of Kendall Dudley, Elina Aarnisalo, Avary Cain, and Zania Socka-Nguemen also entered the transfer portal. Dudley has already announced her commitment to Michigan. Aarnisalo left for North Carolina.
These departures have created significant voids to address for Close and her coaching staff.
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Filling the Gaps: New Additions and Returning Stars
Despite the losses, UCLA is actively working to replenish its roster with talented additions. The Bruins have secured commitments from promising players, including Lena Bilić, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Croatia. Close has dubbed Bilić “the best player out of Europe in her class.” Bilić tallied 18 points, 7.1 assists, and 6.3 rebounds a game as part of the club ZKK Tresnjevka 2009 last season.
Moreover, UCLA welcomes the arrival of Sienna Betts, the No. 2-ranked forward in the 2024 class and a McDonald's All-American MVP.
The Bruins are also counting on the return of key players from their Final Four team. Center Lauren Betts and guard Kiki Rice, both seniors, were unanimously named to the 2025-26 Coaches Preseason All-Big Ten Team, as well as the 2025-26 Media Preseason All-Big Ten Team. Betts was the only unanimous player voted by the media.
Lauren Betts: A Dominant Force
Betts is coming off a unanimous Defensive Player of the Year campaign in the conference and has also been selected as the unanimous Preseason Player of the Year by Big Ten ahead of her senior year. In 2024-25, she became the first Bruin with 600+ points, 300+ rebounds, and 100+ blocks in a season. The center also set a new single-season blocks record with her 100 rejections this year and captured the UCLA single-game blocks record with nine against No. 25 Baylor at the Coretta Scott King Classic. The team's leading scorer (20.2 PPG) had a career-high 33 points at No. 8 Maryland in late January, one of four games in which she scored 30+ points.
Kiki Rice: A Versatile Playmaker
Rice finished her junior campaign as UCLA's second-leading scorer with 12.8 points per game and displayed improved efficiency in her scoring; Rice shot career-bests from the floor (.485 FG%) and from long range (.365 3FG%). The Bruin point guard was both the team and conference leader in assists (170); Rice surpassed 100 assists for the third-consecutive season in 2024-25.
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Gianna Kneepkens: Sharpshooting Veteran
UCLA has also made impactful additions in the transfer portal, like Utah veteran sharpshooter Gianna Kneepkens. Kneepkens, who ranked fourth in the Big 12 with 19.3 points per game, is a career 43.9% shooter from 3-point range and is the eighth senior or graduate student on UCLA's roster.
Charlisse Leger-Walker, a Washington State transfer, is also expected to make a significant impact after redshirting her first year as a Bruin while recovering from an ACL injury. Leger-Walker will likely fill the two spot in light of Jones’ departure.
Addressing Team Needs
With the departure of Jones, the Bruins needed to address the shooting guard position. Leger-Walker and Kneepkens are expected to fill this role. The Bruins also needed a backup point guard for Kiki Rice after Elina Aarnisalo left for North Carolina. Additionally, Close sought a lockdown defender to match up against the opposing team's best wing scorer.
High Expectations for the Future
Despite the roster changes, expectations remain high for the UCLA Bruins women's basketball team. ESPN pegs UCLA as the No. 3 team in college basketball in its latest preseason Top 25 rankings. The Bruins were also widely favored among Big Ten preseason media and coaches polls ahead of media days.
The combination of returning stars like Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice, promising newcomers like Sienna Betts and Lena Bilić, and impactful transfers like Gianna Kneepkens has positioned the Bruins as a strong contender for the 2025-26 season and beyond.
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