This post was updated Nov. 3 at 12:37 a.m.
After a historic postseason run that ended with the squad’s first-ever Final Four appearance of the NCAA era, the Bruins return to the court with familiar faces and promising newcomers, aiming to recreate another tournament run. Assistant Sports editor Ella Dunderdale analyzes UCLA women’s roster depth heading into the 2025-26 season.
Guards
Despite last season’s success, the offseason brought significant backcourt turnover. Half of the Bruins’ guards departed – including Londynn Jones, who led the departing group with 72 3-pointers made.
Even so, the roster’s mix of returning contributors and incoming talent positions the squad to pick up where it left off.
Graduate student point guard Charlisse Leger-Walker will return to the court in 2025, nearly two years after tearing her ACL against UCLA in January 2024 while playing at Washington State.
Leger-Walker opted to medically redshirt her first season with the Bruins after transferring in June 2024.
She spent four years with the Cougars before the injury, leaving her mark in every facet of the game. Leger-Walker notched 1,743 career points – the third most in program history – and 199 3-pointers, the school’s second-most of all time, throughout her Cougar career.
The Waikato, New Zealand, local should look to replace Jones’ backcourt production, providing a well-rounded option for UCLA to rely on.
Leger-Walker is joined by senior guard Kiki Rice, who is entering her fourth and final year as a Bruin. The 2024-25 First Team All-Big Ten honoree averaged 12.8 points per game last season at the one – the second most on the squad – and led the team with five assists per contest.
As a steady starter and experienced upperclassman, Rice provides the composure and leadership to anchor a backcourt integrating new pieces.
UCLA has new blood in graduate student transfer Gianna Kneepkens. The shooting guard led Utah with 19.3 points per game last season, shooting 50.4% from the field, 44.8% from the three-point line and 89% from the free-throw line – 16th in the nation for charity stripe percentage.
With her 1,621 career points, the graduate student is another veteran with the ability to stretch the floor, create shots and provide perimeter offense. Kneepkens will likely take over Jones’ role as the team’s leading 3-point shooter.
Senior guard Gabriela Jaquez, who started in 33 of 36 contests last season, rounds out the guard crew. She averaged 9.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game – and while her stat line was not team-leading, her energy and reliability have made her a Bruin staple that provides a spark on and off the court.
[See also: Swear by Sabrina: Gabriela Jaquez’s hard work, quiet leadership shines when most needed]
Wings
UCLA’s wings bring a blend of potential and experience, pairing promising talent with seasoned weapons.
On one end of the spectrum is senior forward Timea Gardiner. The Ogden, Utah, local led the Bruins with a 39.5% clip from beyond the arc, totalling 64 3-pointers last season.
Gardiner averaged 7.6 points per game, and she posted a season-high 23 against Arkansas last November. She was integral to last season’s Final Four run, draining 5-for-8 3-pointers against No. 3 seed LSU in the Bruins’ 72-65 victory March 30.
Though she seldom started, Gardiner logged 657 minutes on the court in 2024-25 and proved vital off the bench. Gardiner is currently sidelined due to a knee injury, and the team has not been announced when she will return to play.
Joining Gardiner for her last year of eligibility is graduate student forward Angela Dugalić. As one of the team’s veteran players, there is no doubt that Dugalić will continue to lead the group both on and off the court.
The Chicago local averaged 7.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season and racked up a team-high 50 steals. Dugalić also picked up international experience playing for the Serbian National Team at the 2025 FIBA Eurobasket tournament over the summer.
The Bruins’ biggest addition to the group is freshman forward Sienna Betts – the No. 2 player of the 2025 recruiting class, according to HoopGurlz.
The 6-foot-4 winger logged 23 points, 16.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game throughout her senior season at Grandview High School in Centennial, Colorado. Sienna Betts recorded a double-double in 27 of her 28 senior-year performances, and she led the group to a trio of state championships throughout her tenure.
Sienna Betts’ reputation precedes her, cracking the 20-athlete preseason watch list for the 2026 Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Award.
Although she will not appear in the season opener due to a leg injury, Sienna Betts will jump up the depth chart once healthy since she boasts a dominating physical presence, along with the skill and poise to make an immediate impact in the frontcourt.
Bigs
When it comes to the UCLA squad, one name dominates the headlines – Lauren Betts.
The senior center received a slew of accolades in 2024-25, becoming the first player in program history to earn the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award while also earning the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Award in a unanimous vote.
Lauren Betts tallied more than 600 points, 300 rebounds and 100 blocks last season, which represent program-high marks in all three statistical categories. She led the Big Ten in both blocks and field goals, notching 100 stuffs and sinking 294 shots at a 64.8% clip.
The Associated Press First-Team All-American led the squad with 20.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game last season, and she boasts an imposing 6-foot-7 frame that can box out players and maneuver past double-teams.
The reigning Lisa Leslie Center of the Year honoree has again landed on the 2026 watchlist.
And her success stretches beyond the states – Lauren Betts captured two gold medals with Team USA at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup in Hungary and the 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Chile.
Betts has rewritten the record books year after year, and there is little reason to think she will slow down this season. With a deep roster – both old and new – around her, the Bruins could make program history once again.
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