UCLA Women's Most Impactful Basketball Transfer

This sharpshooter could get the Bruins over the hump this season.

Mar 30, 2025; Spokane, WA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close looks on against the LSU Lady Tigers during the first half of a Elite 8 NCAA Tournament basketball game at Spokane Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

Cori Close's UCLA Bruins women's basketball team is on the rise as one of the most promising teams entering the 2025-26 season.

Just under a month until the season, the Bruins have found themselves atop many preseason polls and rankings. ESPN pegs UCLA as the No. 3 team in college basketball in its latest preseason Top 25 rankings.

The reasons for the UCLA optimism? Well, the Bruins have arguably the best player in the country, Lauren Betts, one of the top freshmen entering the scene, her sister, Sienna, and some impactful additions in the transfer portal, like Utah veteran sharpshooter Gianna Kneepkens.

ESPN's Charlie Creme placed UCLA as the third team in the country and cited Kneekens as one of the nation's most impactful transfers.

"When Cori Close lost six players in the portal, including three rotation regulars, she needed to make a splash herself," Creme wrote. Few come bigger than Kneepkens, who should fit in seamlessly with the veteran Bruins. Kneepkens, who ranked fourth in the Big 12 with 19.3 points per game, is a career 43.9% shooter from 3-point range and is the eighth senior or graduate student on UCLA's roster."

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

The attention isn't just limited to ESPN. The Bruins were widely favored among Big Ten preseason media and coaches polls ahead of media days, including seniors Betts and Kiki Rice, who were given unanimous preseason honors.

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UCLA Stars Earn Unanimous Preseason Recognition

Coming off a Final Four run cut short by the eventual national champion UConn Huskies, the Bruins reloaded and have national championship aspirations.

With media day just around the corner, preseason polls and voting are commencing, and UCLA was well-represented in Big Ten Conference preseason polls.

Feb 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close talks to her players center Lauren Betts (51), guard Gabriela Jaquez (11), guard Kiki Rice (1) and guard Londynn Jones (3) during the fourth quarter at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Star seniors Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice were unanimously named to the 2025-26 Coaches Preseason All-Big Ten Team. The full team is below:

• Lauren Betts, Sr., C, UCLA
• Kiki Rice, Sr., G, UCLA
• Hannah Stuelke, Sr., F, Iowa
• Yarden Garzon, Sr., G, Maryland
• Kaylene Smikle, Sr., G, Maryland
• Olivia Olson, So., G, Michigan
• Syla Swords, So., G, Michigan
• Grace VanSlooten, Sr., F, Michigan State
• Jaloni Cambridge, So., G, Ohio State
• Sayvia Sellers, Jr., G, Washington

Betts and Rice also made the 2025-26 Media Preseason All-Big Ten Team. Betts was the only unanimous player voted by the media. UCLA Athletics detailed Betts and Rice's previous seasons in a statement released announcing the Big Ten teams.

On Betts:

"Betts, coming off a unanimous Defensive Player of the Year campaign in the conference, has also been selected as the unanimous Preseason Player of the Year by Big Ten ahead of her senior year. In 2024-25, she became the first Bruin with 600+ points, 300+ rebounds, 100+ blocks in a season.  The center also set a new single-season blocks record with her 100 rejections this year and captured the UCLA single-game blocks record with nine against No. 25 Baylor at the Coretta Scott King Classic. The team's leading scorer (20.2 PPG) had a career-high 33 points at No. 8 Maryland in late January, one of four games in which she scored 30+ points."

Mar 30, 2025; Spokane, WA, USA; UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) shoots against LSU Lady Tigers forward Sa'Myah Smith (5) during the second half of a Elite 8 NCAA Tournament basketball game at Spokane Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

On Rice:

"Rice finished her junior campaign as UCLA's second leading scorer with 12.8 points per game, and she displayed improved efficiency in her scoring; Rice shot career-bests from the floor (.485 FG%) and from long range (.365 3FG%). The Bruin point guard was both the team and conference leader in assists (170); Rice surpassed 100 assists for the third-consecutive season in 2024-25."

Apr 4, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Kiki Rice (1) brings the ball up the court against the Connecticut Huskies during first 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

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