Grading Women's Basketball Following Win Over Duke

UCLA was able to bounce back in a big way against Duke, thanks to a few notable performances from the Bruins' stars.

The Bruins dominated Duke 89–59, a statement win that sent a clear message to the rest of the country not to write off UCLA after its loss to Texas the game prior.

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

Another great Kiki Rice showing, she has quickly proved to be one of UCLA's only consistent performers. Her six rebounds as a guard really helped UCLA dominate in the rebounding category.

She earns a “B” because she didn’t do anything exceptional. Given the strength of the opponent and UCLA being without Lauren Betts, this was a prime opportunity to cement herself as the Bruins’ best player. If this same performance came against a ranked team, it would easily earn an “A.”

Apr 4, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Kiki Rice (1) dribbles against Connecticut Huskies guard KK Arnold (2) during first half 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

If Rice can continue playing at this level, the Bruins will be back in the top three in no time—assuming they don’t drop out after the loss to Texas.

This is the Gabriela Jaquez we all know. In the previous two games, she had been a ghost. However, she bounced back massively. If she can do the same against No. 15 Tennessee, UCLA will have made a quick 180 after the Texas game.

She earns an "A+" because she was very effective at shooting and was clearly the best player on the court throughout the game. Scoring 23 points on 50% shooting was a message to the league that she is back.

What a comeback for Charlisse Leger-Walker. After accounting for six of the Bruins' 20 turnovers against Texas in the loss, Leger-Walker would stun the nation with this performance.

She earns the first "A++" grade this season simply because she was unstoppable everywhere. She shot 55.6% from three and was a key reason why UCLA was able to bounce back so hard. Her short memory from the game prior is something all of the Bruins can look up to.

TELL YOUR FRIEND TO TELL A FRIEND… CHARLISSE LEGER WALKER IS SOOOOOO BACK!!!! @Char_legerwalks @CoachCoriClose @UCLAWBB pic.twitter.com/M7iLXHj17M
— Brenden_Potts (@BrendenPotts) November 28, 2025

Another great game from Gianna Kneepkens. While nothing pops out from her stat line, she played a great game of basketball and still made a big impact, given the last two players' incredible performances.

She earns an "A-" because, like Leger-Walker, she performed well everywhere on the court. She was a key driver in UCLA's three-point shooting during this game, shooting 3-3, as well as assisting her teammates on their three-point attempts.

If UCLA can build on this win, there is no doubt they will be right where they started before Texas. With Sienna Betts hopefully coming back soon, this Bruins team will be hard to beat.

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