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Message: [QUOTE="GoChips20, post: 5273447, member: 11308"] We have a thread for most of the other anticipated top teams but not for UCLA yet. Despite the loss of their freshman class and two rotation players in Jones/Barker I think they should be significantly better this year. I thought their greatest issue was their limited shot creation outside of Betts which has been addressed. Likely starting lineup: [LIST] [*]PG - Kiki Rice - Made a substantial leap as a junior but hasn’t quite lived up to her #2 recruiting ranking yet. Looked rattled on the floor in the UConn game but was UCLA’s second-best player for most of the season. Very competent defender. Look for her to grow her perimeter game which is the missing piece in her game for WNBA success. [*]SG - Charlisse Leger-Walker - Has never been an overly efficient scorer but gives UCLA something they lacked this year, a guard who can take over games and is an upgrade over Londynn Jones. She should thrive in a role where she doesn’t have to carry a team like she did at Washington State. I believe Kneepkens is the better player at this time but expect CLW to start given her time with the program. [*]SF - Gabriela Jacquez - Very solid player who is good at almost everything. Probably needs to develop an elite skill in some area to be a WNBA player but has improved in each of her seasons at UCLA and could take that next step this year. [*]PF - Angela Dugalic - Likely not UCLA’s best option at this position but brings experience, length, shooting range, and defensive versatility. Very good glue player. [*]C - Lauren Betts - Has improved leaps and bounds since transferring to UCLA and was handily the best center in the country this year. I’d pencil her in as the #1 pick in 2026 at this point. She’s incredibly dominant in the paint but does need to improve her free-throw shooting and midrange game with the WNBA’s focus on versatile bigs. [/LIST] Bench [LIST] [*]SG/SF - Gianna Kneepkens - Has quietly been one of the most underrated players in the country for several seasons and put together a season very comparable to Paige Bueckers in scoring efficiency. Kneepkens is good enough to start anywhere in the country aside from maybe UConn and South Carolina and should be a favorite for the Big Ten’s 6WOY award if she does come off the bench. [*]PF - Timea Gardiner - Has one of the best three-point shots for a big in the country and was dynamite for Oregon State as a sophomore. Cori Close was excellent last year but her usage of Gardiner was a bit puzzling at times. She has the size, skill, and strength to be more than a perimeter player. [*]PF/C - Sienna Betts - I haven’t seen much of her but my understanding is that she’s a more polished offensive player than her sister was as a freshman although she doesn’t have the same intimidating size. I think she’ll be an important piece of the rotation and could form an exciting high-low game with Lauren. [/LIST] Analysis: Cori Close silenced most doubters this year by getting UCLA to a Final Four, but now that they’ve gotten there the next step is a national championship and it’s a do-or-die year with the entire rotation graduating in 2026 aside from Sienna Betts. I think the UConn loss will fuel UCLA to get better and they’ll come in having cleared the Final Four hurdle which should lessen some pressure. They’re the clear favorites to win the Big Ten, I really can’t see anyone seriously challenging them. Anything can happen but I think we could very likely see the exact same Final Four lineup this year and it’ll come down to matchups from there. [/QUOTE]

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