UCLA Schedules Visit With Top Girls High School Recruit

UCLA women's basketball is already recruiting some of the top players in high school basketball.

UCLA is coming off its best season in program history, finishing the year with a 28-1 regular season record, then winning the Big Ten Tournament Championship, and then going on to win the program's first national title against South Carolina.

Head coach Cori Close did it all with a squad led by six seniors, who led the Bruins in scoring throughout the season. Seniors Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Gianna Kneepkens, Angela Dugalic, and Charlisse Leger-Walker have now left the team and are now in the WNBA.

With players like them gone, Close went into the portal and rebuilt the roster around Sienna Betts, who just finished up her true freshman season. Close brought in players such as Addy Brown, Donovyn Hunter, Elina Aarnisalo, KK Bransford, and Bonnie Deas to help the Bruins pursue championships.

However, this year, Close did not recruit from high school, as the Bruins' only commit later decommitted and is now with the Texas Longhorns.

With the Close not pursuing any player in the 2026 high school class, she has begun targeting players in the class of 2027 and has now recruited the No. 1 player in the class of 2028, Kaleena Smith.

Kaleena Smith Schedules Visit to UCLA

Smith is a highly touted player from the 2028 high school class, ranked No. 1 overall. per 247Sports. With so many offers, she has begun scheduling official visits to schools and has recently scheduled one to UCLA for October 30.

She has scheduled visits with other Big Ten schools, including Washington on July 31 and USC the week prior to UCLA on October 23.

What Smith Would Bring to UCLA

Visit News: Kaleena Smith, the No. 1 overall prospect in the class of 2027, has locked in 11 official visits, source tells @247sports

Washington- July 31
Baylor - August 28
Oklahoma - September 4
Georgia - SEPTEMBER 11
Tennessee- September 25
Arizona State - October 9… pic.twitter.com/TzFryOuaYB
— Dushawn London (@DushawnLondon1) July 6, 2026

Listed at 5-6, Smith is the top point guard in the class of 2028 and would bring a type of point guard that Close has never had on her roster before.

247Sports Women's Basketball Director of Scouting Brandon Clay spoke highly of Smith's scoring ability as a point guard and her ability to shoot from NBA range.

"Her ability to pick her spots to score or distribute does not go unnoticed by her teammates. Smith does a good job of keeping them involved throughout the game. That's not the easiest task for a point guard who scores the basketball the way that Smith does. She has legitimate shooting range out past the 25-foot mark.”

Close has not had a player of her caliber at the point guard position who can shoot and score from anywhere on the court. If she were to commit to UCLA, a freshman/senior duo of Smith and Betts would be must-see TV for any fan of women's college basketball.

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