Former Bruins Commits to Fellow Blue Blood

Former UCLA Bruins freshman guard Elina Aarnisalo has found her next destination after one year in Westwood. She has joined another blue blood program outside of the Big Ten.

Apr 4, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Elina Aarnisalo (7) 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

Former UCLA Bruins freshman guard Elina Aarnisalo will be taking her talents outside of the Big Ten, joining another blue blood program in the North Carolina Tar Heels, she announced via X, formerly known as Twitter.

After entering the transfer portal nearly one week ago, she has found her next stop, transferring out of the Big Ten and into the ACC. She was one of the bigger transfer surprises as she posted a promising first season of collegiate basketball.

So excited for the future!!🩵 pic.twitter.com/ryyxEidSA5

— Elina Aarnisalo (@ElinaAarnisalo) April 15, 2025

The freshman guard was one of several Bruins to announce their transfer departure in the past week, joining freshman guard Avary Cain, freshman forward Kendall Dudley, including two veteran starters in Londynn Jones and Janiah Barker. Aarnisalo is one of the first to find a new school for 2025-'26.

Aarnisalo received a healthy amount of playing time in her first year, being a part of one of the nation's top teams that made its first Final Four appearance in school history and took home a Big Ten tournament title in its first season in the new conference.

She averaged 5.1 points on 43.7% shooting with 2.2 rebounds and 3.4 assist per contest. Aarnisalo started 10 of 32 games she was featured in, averaging just over 20 minutes per game.

Despite a motivating freshman year, Aarnisalo felt it was time to move on and find a new opportunity. It was a short-lived experience in Westwood for the Helsinki, Finland native, but the Bruins will not have worry about Aarnisalo being a thorn in their side in the Big Ten next season.

The Tar Heels ended this past season as the No. 14-ranked team in the country, finishing fourth in the ACC with a 29-8 overall record. Aarnisalo will join a blue blood program that made a Sweet 16 appearance in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, hoping to use her skills to make a deeper run.

Who knows, there may be a potential rematch for Aarnisalo against her former team depending on how the non-conference schedule shakes out for UCLA this upcoming season. It would be interesting to see what kind of development and growth that Aarnisalo has in her sophomore season.

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