UCLA WBB Strikes Gold With First Major Transfer

The Bruins have found their first big player of many in the transfer portal of this year's offseason, picking up the former true freshman guard from the Arkansas Razorbacks: Bonnie Deas.

She aligns perfectly with what the Bruins are aiming to do, and she has played well throughout her college career, even though she is just getting started.

So how did coach Cori Close strike gold with Deas, and what could she do to the team going into the next season as the Bruins attempt to defend their national title?

How Cori Close Struck Gold With Bonnie Deas: The Scheme Fit

The Bruins lost their six best players this offseason to graduation and the WNBA draft, of whom five of the six players were invited to attend the first round.

What has been left behind is a young and somewhat inexperienced core that needs a young yet experienced leader to take the reins of the team going into the season.

Luckily for UCLA, that is exactly what happened when they found Deas, who had a great first season with the Razorbacks despite playing on a lackluster team that was eliminated in the first round of the SEC Tournament and failed to make March Madness.

Yet even though she was surrounded by issues, she still played hard and with passion, which will help the Bruins create a team that could go deep in March Madness.

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Bonnie Deas (22) defends the shot of Kentucky Wildcats guard Asia Boone (8) Wednesday, March 4, 2026, during the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament first round game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Furthermore, she has the grit and determination to make it through the postseason, as the Bruins did this year after some rough games.

How Deas Has Played Before Coming to the Bruins

Coming out of high school and being thrown to the wolves could easily provide poor stats, with minimal points per game, and with her 5'9 stature could make it difficult to find rebounds.

However, she performed well under the pressure of being a collegiate starter, scoring around 10 points on average, and finding a way to nine rebounds a game.

On top of that, she averaged around three assists and a steal per game while keeping her turnovers minimal at 2.6 per game, which UCLA struggled with last year, and needs players who play clean basketball.

Now, under one of the best coaches in the game, Deas will be able to grow and blow past everything she accomplished last season, which bodes well for the Bruins, as she could develop into a superstar.