What the Return of Sienna Betts Means For UCLA

It was announced to the media on Dec. 7 that there is a chance that the highly anticipated freshman might be able to suit up in the Bruins' next matchup.

Cori Close revealed some encouraging news regarding Sienna Betts in her most recent press conference, saying, "But I'm being honest in the fact that my hope is that she's going to be able to get some minutes against Cal Poly. I'm not giving you a guarantee. I'm not telling you it's for sure going to happen."

How This Changes Things With UCLA

The biggest question on everyone’s mind with this news is how it will affect the established dynamics of a Bruins team that’s already highly successful. Will she make them better this season? Slightly. Will she make UCLA a stronger team one to two years from now? Definitely.

Looking at the current Bruins roster, it’s clear she won’t be taking anyone’s starting job right away. Lauren Betts, her sister, is the lone starting forward for UCLA this season, which means Sienna Betts may have opportunities to fill in for her as the year progresses.

Dec 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Gabriela Jaquez (11) drives past Oregon Ducks guard Sofia Bell (3) and guard Astera Tuhina (0) during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Angela Dugalic could also see her minutes decrease, even though she’s having a very solid season for the Bruins, averaging 10.5 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 51.3% off the bench. Amanda Muse will probably see the biggest reduction in minutes when Betts returns, who is averaging 13 minutes a game.

With Betts returning, we could see a full overhaul of the Bruins’ offense. With so many guards currently in the starting lineup, major shifts in the rotation are possible. It’s a fortunate dilemma for Cori Close—there are only so many minutes to go around for a roster with this much talent.

Because of this, it’s reasonable to assume Close will use Betts to ease the workload on the Bruins’ stars during the less competitive matchups on the schedule. It’s an ideal way to get Betts' valuable reps while keeping the core rotation healthy heading into March.

Cor — Dec 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Gianna Kneepkens (8) drives past Oregon Ducks guard Ari Long (14) during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

With the Bruins’ championship window narrowing by the second, it will be imperative to keep their starters healthy for March. Next season, most—if not all—of the current starting five are expected to declare for the WNBA Draft. This year cannot be wasted; UCLA is firmly in win-now mode.

It will be interesting to see how Cori Close handles this situation. There’s an old saying in sports: “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.”

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