Bruins Preparing to Host Elite-Scoring Transfer Guard

The UCLA Bruins have already lost six players to the transfer portal just over a week after their Final Four loss to the UConn Huskies to end their season. Despite the losses, the Bruins are eyeing one of the top scorers in the country, former Utah Utes junior guard Gianna Kneepkens.

Kneepkens is scheduled to make a visit to Westwood as she entered the transfer portal back in late March, per David Woods of Bruin Online Report. The Bruins did not immediately pursue the former Pac-12 guard as they were still competing in the NCAA Tournament at the time of her transfer.

"The 5'11 Kneepkens is one of the elite scorers in women's college hoops, scoring 19.3 points per game last year," Woods wrote. "She's an excellent shooter, hitting 43% from three for her career, including 44.8% last year on high volume.

"She's also a decent rebounder, averaging 5 per game. It is very easy to imagine her sliding into Jones' starting spot next year while providing significantly more consistent production there and also adding good size for the position."

Woods projects Kneepkens to take over the starting role of former UCLA guard Londynn Jones, who entered the portal earlier this week. She was the fourth-leading scorer out of the Big 12 last year, putting together her best of four seasons in a Utes jersey. She has one year of eligibility remaining.

Kneepkens is very familiar with head coach Cori Close and her program considering she faced UCLA twice during her time in the Pac-12. Despite being a Duluth, Minnesota native, Kneepkens has played her entire collegiate career on the West side of the country and may want to stay out there.

UCLA junior guard KiKi Rice was the team's highest scoring guard last season at 12.8 points per game and is assumed to return for a senior season. Adding Kneepkens would only improve the scoring production and strength of the team as a whole.

It could very well be the difference between the Bruins being a Final Four team or a national title-winning team. A high-level scorer like Kneepkens could add extreme value to a team that relied very heavily on All-American center Lauren Betts and the outside shooting of their guards last year.

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