With fans back in Pauley Pavilion for the first time since 2020, coach Cori Close showcased her new roster in UCLA women’s basketball’s 2021-2022 season opener against Pepperdine on Wednesday. However, with novelty comes some question marks – including how the Bruins will make up for the offensive production of former forward Michaela Onyenwere, who averaged a team-leading 18.7 points across the last three seasons. Here’s a look at some of the most anticipated players for UCLA and how Daily Bruin Sports projects each of their seasons to play out.
Charisma Osborne
2020-2021 stats:
17.0 PPG
36.1 FG% | 34.0 3P% | 86.8 FT%
3.8 APG
5.8 RPG
Projected 2021-2022 stats:
19.2 PPG
40.1 FG% | 36.1 3PT% | 84.2 FT%
3.1 APG
4.5 RPG
As a sophomore last season, Charisma Osborne was asked to take on a heavier playmaking role.
After dishing out 44 assists in 31 games as a freshman, the guard almost doubled the output in eight fewer games last year, leading the team with 87 dimes – 24 more than the next highest Bruin. Her 3.8 assists per contest ranked sixth in the Pac-12, while her 1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio placed in the top five.
But that didn’t stop Osborne from showing off her development as a scorer, too.
Alongside Onyenwere, Osborne provided the Bruins with another top-five scorer in the conference, as the duo ranked second and fourth, respectively, in points per game. The then-sophomore improved her scoring average from her freshman year by almost five points to 17 points per contest while also ranking top 10 in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage.
In short, Osborne has shown that she puts in work in the offseason. And with Onyenwere now in New York City, the junior guard is one of the most obvious picks to take over the Bruin offense.
If last year was any indicator, Osborne already has the green light from Close to let it fly, as the guard attempted fewer than 11 shots just once all season despite several contests in which she shot well under her season average of 36.1% from the field.
The addition of graduate student transfer guard Gina Conti allows Osborne to slide back to her natural position of shooting guard with fewer shot-creating responsibilities. As a result, Osborne should see an uptick in scoring totals and efficiency while conceding some of her playmaking duties.
Although she might face more competition for touches, the lane is open for Osborne to become the go-to scorer and closer for UCLA this season with a chance to even outperform our offensive projections.
If Osborne shores up her shooting inconsistencies and maintains her Pac-12 All-Defensive Team level of play on the other side of the ball, the junior has the potential to cement her status as one of the premier two-way guards in the country.
IImar’I Thomas
2020-2021 stats (with Cincinnati):
23.7 PPG
54.3 FG% | 22.2 3P% | 83.2 FT%
3.3 APG
7.5 RPG
Projected 2021-2022 stats:
17.9 PPG
56.1 FG% | 30.6 3P% | 84.9% FT%
2.1 APG
7.9 RPG
IImar’I Thomas may be the most intriguing newcomer for the Bruins in years.
Before becoming the first of five transfers to commit to UCLA this offseason, the forward left a legacy as one of the best players in Cincinnati history. In four years with the program, Thomas became the first Bearcat to amass 1,900 points and 800 rebounds while increasing her scoring average in each of her four years, culminating in an average of 23.7 points per game her senior year – the ninth-highest mark in the nation last season.
The Oakland native’s offensive versatility was on full display in a game last season against East Carolina, in which she scored 51 points on 20-of-27 shooting while adding 12 rebounds and four assists. The forward became just the second player in Cincinnati history to reach the 50-point plateau, with the other being NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson.
Despite being the clear top offensive threat on her team last season, Thomas shrugged off whatever opposing defenses threw at her and put up 16.1 field goal attempts per game, which she connected on at a 54.3% clip.
Now on a nationally ranked team for the first time in her career, Thomas will have a chance to prove she can continue her production on a tournament-bound squad. With redshirt freshman forward Emily Bessoir out for the season with a torn ACL, Thomas has a clear lane to replace Onyenwere as the top scorer at the forward position for the Bruins.
Thomas may end up taking a back seat relative to her role with the Bearcats and see a slight dip in her stats as a result, but our projections still firmly place her as a top forward in the conference on the offensive end.
Gina Conti
2020-2021 stats (with Wake Forest):
13.8 PPG
40.5 FG% | 35.4 3P% | 84.0 FT%
4.6 APG
3.8 RPG
Projected 2021-2022 stats:
14.2 PPG
41.9 FG% | 36.1 3P% | 86.5 FT%
5.8 APG
3.2 RPG
It’s not often that a player is handed the keys to an offense immediately upon their arrival to a team.
But when Close recruited Gina Conti from Wake Forest this offseason, that’s exactly what she envisioned.
Like Thomas, the graduate student guard spent four years rewriting the record books at her old school. Conti finished second in program history with 494 assists while also becoming just the third Demon Deacon to record 1,000 points and 450 assists in her career. With her playmaking ability, the Ohio native has the potential to have the biggest impact among UCLA’s newcomers this season.
Conti will be asked to run the point and create plays for others, and we predict she’ll be able to step up to the plate, with a projected assist average that would’ve placed her first in the Pac-12 last season by nearly an assist per game.
Her ability to drive and kick to create open 3-point opportunities will open up more opportunities from beyond the arc for the Bruins, which is something the team struggled with at times last season.
Conti has also shown consistent improvement in her own scoring ability, improving both her points-per-game average and field goal percentage in each of her last three seasons with Wake Forest.
The guard is exceptional at keeping the defense guessing with her high basketball IQ and has the ability to make the right pass or score from all three levels at an efficient rate. This year, Close said she has challenged her new point guard to play in a more magnified and expanded role than she’s been asked to do in her career.
If Conti is up to the task, she has a chance to unlock a new dimension for the Bruins’ offense.
Jaelynn Penn
2020-2021 stats (with Indiana):
9.5 PPG
54.3 FG% | 22.2 3P% | 83.2 FT%
2.4 APG
4.9 RPG
Projected 2021-2022 stats:
10.3 PPG
46.1 FG% | 31.2 3P% | 86.9 FT%
2.2 APG
3.4 RPG
Close said she remembers it like it was yesterday.
A then-freshman for Indiana, Jaelynn Penn drained a last-minute 3-pointer from the left corner to sink the Bruins at Pauley Pavilion in December 2018.
After four years in Bloomington, the graduate transfer will now have a spot on the home team’s bench at Pauley.
Penn played in 11 games before opting out of the rest of the season a year ago, posting 9.5 points per game on 38.4% from the field and 27.7% from deep, all career-low figures. She did average a career-high 2.4 assists per game, but her first three years with the team are a much better indicator of what the guard can bring to the UCLA offense.
In her best statistical season with the Hoosiers in 2018-2019, Penn averaged 13.9 points per game while shooting 40.4% from the field and 33.7% from the 3-point line to earn All-Big Ten Second Team honors. Penn recorded at least 10.6 points each season across her first three collegiate seasons.
The guard started 113 of 114 games across four seasons with the Hoosiers and provided a steady source of points and 3-pointers, finishing her career at No. 17 on the Indiana all-time scoring list and top 10 in 3-pointers.
Especially with her tendency to step up her game in the clutch, Penn has the chance to quickly become a fan favorite with her offensive versatility and is yet another weapon at Close’s disposal this season.
Natalie Chou
2020-2021 stats:
9.9 PPG
42.0 FG% | 38.6 3P% | 67.5 FT%
1.7 APG
4.3 RPG
Projected 2021-2022 stats:
8.6 PPG
44.4 FG% | 40.1 3P% | 74.3 FT%
1.3 APG
4.4 RPG
Similar to Osborne, Natalie Chou was asked to take on a bigger role last season.
Also like Osborne, the guard stepped up for her team. The graduate student started 21 of 23 games in the 2020 season, contributing just under 10 points per game as the Bruins’ third-leading scorer.
Though the per-game averages may not be at the same level as her aforementioned teammates, Chou provides unique value with her ability to stretch the floor. The guard drained 32 3-pointers at a 38.6% clip, which ranked top 10 in the conference and marked a 7.8% increase from her first season in Westwood in 2019-2020.
Chou showed her impact best in a home matchup against Utah, in which she drained 11-of-14 field goals, including 5-of-7 shots from 3-point range. The guard contributed double-digit points in 12 of her 23 games played last season, displaying her ability to drive in the paint as well as shoot the three.
With all the attention going to the more prolific scorers, Chou should see decreased defensive attention, giving her a chance to improve her efficiency yet again. While it’s likely we see a decrease in her counting stats, the graduate student will prove to be an integral part of the Bruins’ offense by stretching opposing defenses and understanding where to be in Close’s offense.
Chou is another veteran on the team who has increased her scoring average each of her collegiate seasons, and yet another jump could be on the horizon if she takes advantage of her opportunities.
