Social Media Reacts to UCLA's First Two Stud Transfer Commitments

The Bruins won the National Championship and set their sights on repeating the feat almost immediately, hitting the transfer portal with full force.

They brought in former Bruin Elina Aarnisalo and a new, young face, Bonnie Deas, both of whom will be making their mark on UCLA in the coming years, and fans will have to get very acquainted with them.

UCLA, Cori Clos — UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close yells out to her team as they play the South Carolina Gamecocks in the NCAA women's basketball national championship at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on April 5, 2026. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

So, despite all of the record-breaking things UCLA did at the WNBA Draft, what did social media say about the two recruits, and how excited are the Bruins getting for next year?

How Social Media Reacted to Bonnie Deas: Looking Forward to Seeing Her With Cori Close

As the first major transfer of the year, fans were hyped to see Bonnie Deas leave the Arkansas Razorbacks and join UCLA as she enters her sophomore year of collegiate basketball.

In her time with Arkansas, she played very well and definitely earned her spot with the Bruins by being a star on a rough squad that did not have the best year.

Because her team played poorly for much of the season, she and the Razorbacks did not get as much attention as usual, as more pertinent games against teams such as UCLA came up at the same time.

So now that she is with the reigning champions, social media is excited to see Deas on the big stage much more often, whether she becomes a starter or ends up playing off the bench like Angela Dugalic.

Furthermore, her growth under coach Cori Close will be broadcast worldwide, so fans will get to see her become a superstar.

Bonnie Deas coming to the B1G? That means I get to see her play next year and I love that for me.
— Claire (@ClaireMargaBear) April 9, 2026

Bonnie Deas is a dog. Plays with toughness and big time energy. Huge upside here with proper Cori Close development #UCLA
— Jason Fray (@_calcio23) April 9, 2026

How Social Media Reacted to Elina Aarnisalo: Confusion and Gratefulness

The Bruins already had Elina Aarnisalo on the roster during her freshman year of collegiate basketball, and she left the team for a venture with the North Carolina Tar Heels.

However, she has come back after some great play to fans that already know her face and name, which means they know what she will be like on the court.

Some are expecting her to play much better than she did in her first year and are celebrating the idea of seeing her back with Close, believing she never should have left.

Others were more confused than excited, though, because it did not make sense for Aarnisalo to have left only to return one season later; overall, however, she was accepted back with open arms.

Elina Aarnisalo coming back to UCLA feels bigger now. She left, played a real role at North Carolina, averaged 10.2 points and 2.9 assists, and helped them reach the Sweet 16. Now she returns to Westwood with more experience and more confidence she ready for the moment.
— Sergio Betts | UCLA Bruins (@PBackup215241) April 13, 2026

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