Which UCLA Starters Need To Get Back on Track

The Bruins had a good win against Minnesota, but some starters need to do better going forward.

Mar 27, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins celebrate after defeating Minnesota Golden Gophers during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Sacramento Regional 2 of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

The Bruins have been having a great tournament so far as the one seed in their region, taking care of business in dominant fashion every round thus far, especially in their first two matches against Cal Baptist and Oklahoma State.

They were able to continue their great play against the Minnesota Golden Gophers despite a couple missteps by the team as a whole, winning 80-56 after a fourth-quarter surge.

Mar 27, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Amaya Battle (3) drives against UCLA Bruins forward Angela Dugalić (32) during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Sacramento Regional 2 of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

However, a couple starters for UCLA did not play their best against the Golden Gophers, and now that matchups are getting more difficult with teams like UConn, South Carolina, and Texas looming, those starters will need to pick things up.

The Starters Who Need To Get Back on Track: Gabriela Jaquez

Mar 26, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Gabriela Jaquez (11) speaks to the media during a press conference ahead of the Sacramento Regional 2 of the women’s 2026 NCAA tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

• It's never guaranteed that a player will have a good shooting performance on any given night, especially from beyond the arc, and that was the case for Gabriela Jaquez as she missed all three of her attempts for three against Minnesota.

• Furthermore, she is currently 1-8 from the three-point line in the tournament, so it is either time for her to find some rhythm or to pass the ball when it comes time to shoot; otherwise, UCLA might find trouble in tight games.

The Starters Who Need To Get Back on Track: Gianna Kneepkens

Mar 27, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Gianna Kneepkens (8) dribbles against Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Brylee Glenn (12) during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Sacramento Regional 2 of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

• Gianna Kneepkens suffered from the same issues that Jaquez has had offensively, going 5-15 on the tournament and 1-4 against the Golden Gophers, which are numbers that need to get going.

• If the shots don't start to fall against their next opponent in the Duke Blue Devils then it might be time for a game plan shift and for the team to start attacking the paint more.

UCLA Bruins guard Gianna Kneepkens (8) loses the ball against Iowa Hawkeyes guard Kylie Feuerbach (4) on Sunday, March 8, 2026, during the Big Ten Tournament Championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. UCLA Bruins defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes, 96-45, for back to back Big Ten championships. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

• However, if Kneepkens can start hitting shots and get momentum back into the game for UCLA, her teammates will likely follow, and tight games will look winnable down the stretch.

The Starters Who Need To Get Back on Track: Charlisse Leger-Walker

Mar 27, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Charlisse Leger-Walker (5) drives against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Sacramento Regional 2 of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

• The final starting Bruin that needs to fix some things is Charlisse Leger-Walker, and like her teammates, the only issue has been shooting.

• However, she has already taken steps to fix the issue by garnering assists as much as possible, most recently eight against Minnesota.

Mar 23, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Charlisse Leger-Walker (5) reacts after a three point basket in the first half against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

• She will be the engine that gets the ball to UCLA's most important shooters, but in a pinch, she also must be able to save UCLA on her own before something drastic can end the team's season.