3 Bruins Who Need to Show Up vs Nebraska

Here are 3 UCLA players who need to make and impact against Cornhuskers

Dec 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Gabriela Jaquez (11) reacts after a 3-point basket during the second half against Long Beach State Beach at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Bruins are looking to win their sixth ranked game of the season, this will only be possible if these three Bruins are able to have a solid outing

UCLA entering this game has a 79.9% chance of winning (per ESPN Analytics). While the odds look good, they cannot let up as they did three games ago against Ohio State, where the Bruins would win by seven. Here are three players who can prevent this from happening.

Sienna Betts | F

Dec 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Sienna Betts (16) and center Lauren Betts (51) defend a shot by Long Beach State Beach forward Rosie Akot (2) during the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

After a rough game against USC, Sienna Betts will hopefully look to turn things around against a team of a similar caliber. Unfortunately, Betts will most likley face off against Jessica Petrie, an experienced forward who will look to derail the momentum Betts is trying to build in this game.

The good news for the Bruins is that Betts has the physicals to dominate this matchup. While Petrie is a good player, she won't be a player who will give Betts that much trouble, a perfect matchup for Sienna's development.

Gabriela Jaquez | G

Dec 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Gabriela Jaquez (11) beats Long Beach State Beach guard Jaquoia Jones-Brown (30) to a loose ball during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

After starting the season as the Bruins' leading scorer, Gabriela Jaquez has struggled to stay consistent, and at times she has completely disappeared. Against USC, she scored 12 points on 3-9 shooting with half of her points coming off of free throws (6-of-6).

Jaquez has shown to be a player who steps up against good teams. While she did not show it against No. 17 USC, she has a very good opportunity to do so against Nebraska. With Lauren and Sienna Betts hopefully demanding a lot of attention in the paint, this, in turn, should open things up for her.

Charlisse Leger-Walker | G

Dec 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Charlisse Leger-Walker (5) drives past Cal Poly Mustangs guard Madison Butcher (24) during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Charlisse Leger-Walker has a very good season as the the Bruins' primary facilitator. Moving forward it would be nice to see more scoring, but overall we cannot complain if she continues to put up 6.3 assists per game.

Her playmaking will be crucial against Nebraska, and will play a massive role in Sienna's development down the road. Her leadership skills are borderline unmatched, that why it is crucial she sets up the others mentioned on this list against Nebraska, which she shouldn't have trouble accomplishing.

Apr 4, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close reacts during first quarter in a semifinal of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament against the Connecticut Huskies at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The players on this list are obviously going to make a significant impact, however the level of impact is what is in question. We just need to see a little bit more from these three, and they each have a huge opportunity to do so against Nebraska.

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