UCLA Adds Elite Sharpshooter Transfer

After UCLA got blown out in the Final Four by eventual champs UConn, Bruins head coach Cori Close had to revamp the roster in a way to make it far more competitive versus the true blue bloods of the sport.

The team will look a whole lot different in 2025. The entire four-woman freshmen class (Kendall Dudley, Avary Cain, Elina Aarnisalo, Zania Socka-Nguemen) all transferred out of the program. Starting guard Londynn Jones did the same — ultimately ending up at rival USC. Reigning Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year Janiah Barker left for Tennessee.

To help replenish those lost, Close has been active. She signed McDonald’s All-American forward Sienna Betts as well as Croatian guard/wing Lena Bilic. Betts is the younger sister of All-American center Lauren Betts, and is widely considered to be one of the best players in her class. Many believe Bilic is the best prospect to hail from Europe in the 2025 group. In a stroke of good fortune, Angela Dugalic opted to return for another year of eligibility, giving UCLA a long, experienced frontcourt player. Washington State transfer Charlisse Leger-Walker is fully healed from an ACL injury, and figures to be a massive contributor on the squad.

In desperate need of a floor spacer, Close went into the portal and nabbed arguably the best shooter available in Utah transfer Gianna Kneepkens. A native of Minnesota, Kneepkens averaged 19.3 PPG this past year for the Utes. She shot a blistering 50.4 percent from the field and 44.8 percent from beyond the arc.

A three-time first-team all-conference player, Kneepkens figures to be a massive upgrade for the Bruins at the two-spot. Jones struggled with the consistency of her shot in addition to being undersized (5-foot-4) for the position. Kneepkens is a legit 6-feet tall, and has the proven track record as one of the best shooters in the country.

UCLA beat out South Carolina and Oklahoma for her services. She immediately increases an already high ceiling for the Bruins next year. With the Betts sisters, Dugalic, Kneepkens, Leger-Walker, Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, and Timea Gardiner all on next year’s squad, it figures to be a deep and talented team with a real shot at winning a title. The collective experience accrued from this year’s group should benefit them massively moving forward for the 2025-26 season.