UCLA WBB Transfer Headlines Preseason Impact Rankings

The Bruins' new sharpshooter may be the most impactful addition to a top team this season.

UCLA Head Coach Cori Close talks with Gabriela Jaquez (11) during the Indiana versus UCLA women's game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this new era of college athletics, even the best teams can get better in the offseason, and the No. 3-ranked UCLA Bruins women's basketball team is a prime example.

Cori Close's Bruins, on the heels of a Final Four run that was cut short by the eventual national champion UConn Huskies, not only regrouped by coming back with impact players like Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez, but also got better along the margins by adding star freshman Sienna Betts and Utah transfer Gianna Kneepkens.

Apr 4, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; Connecticut Huskies forward Ice Brady (25) defends against UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) during second quarter in a semifinal of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Kneepkens was one of the biggest transfers of the women's college basketball landscape over the offseason, and it's because she may be the missing piece of the Bruins' puzzle as a big, sharpshooting wing.

Mar 21, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Utah Utes guard Gianna Kneepkens (5) drives past Indiana Hoosiers guard Chloe Moore-McNeil (22) in the second half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

ESPN women's basketball analyst Charlie Creme ranked the 25 most impactful transfers of the preseason, and, among the biggest names in the sport like Ta'Niya Latson, Olivia Miles and Serah Williams, Kneepkens came in fourth on Creme's list.

• "An experienced wing with size might have been the one piece missing for the Bruins a season ago, and Cori Close got one of the nation's best in Kneepkens," Creme wrote.

• "A career 43.2% 3-point shooter in four seasons at Utah, Kneepkens returned from a foot injury that shortened her 2023-24 season to score 19.4 points per game last campaign -- which was good for fourth in the Big 12."

Kneepkens isn't the only Bruin lauded as one of the most impactful additions ahead of the new season. Freshman Sienna Betts also caught ESPN's eye.

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

Betts Among Most Impactful Freshmen in College Hoops

ESPN's Shane Laffin detailed 10 of the most impactful women freshman just under a month ahead of the season, and Betts came in at No. 8 on the list.

Apr 3, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) talks to media before the NCAA Woman’s Final Four at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

"UCLA reached the Final Four last year with a major anchor inside, Lauren Betts, but inconsistent depth behind her," Laffin wrote. "Her younger sister, Sienna, will help fill that void. She can spell Lauren in the paint, play alongside her as a stretch forward or even plug in for fellow forward Angela Dugali. Coaches praised her rebounding, competitiveness and willingness to speak up in the Bruins' locker room. Expect the younger Betts to be ready to handle significant minutes."

Apr 3, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) practices before the NCAA Woman’s Final Four at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Betts, a 6-foot-4 forward, was No. 2 on the 2025 SC Next 100 Rankings. Along with her high school endeavors, she's been carving her craft, competing with USA Basketball, just as her sister did before her, and as her 7-foot-tall younger brother, Dylan, is doing after.

Sienna and Lauren's natural chemistry may serve as a factor in the Bruins getting over the hump and reaching a national championship.

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