Charisma Osborne, Camryn Brown Returning to UCLA Women’s Basketball
Two of the Bruins' most experienced veterans may have said goodbye back during Senior Day back on Feb. 24, but their time in Westwood isn’t over just yet.
UCLA women's basketball senior guards Charisma Osborne and Camryn Brown will be returning for their respective super senior years, the pair announce Wednesday on Twitter. While Brown was not a widely projected WNBA Draft pick, Osborne likely spurned a top-10 selection to don the blue and gold in 2023-2024.
Both Bruins held an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19-impacted 2020-2021 season.
Graduate guard Gina Conti is the only member of UCLA's lineup to have run out of eligibility after playing four seasons at Wake Forest and two in blue and gold. The only other departures are guard Dominique Onu – who transferred to USC in midseason – and senior forward Brynn Masikewich, who reportedly entered the transfer portal for her graduate season.
Osborne was the Bruins' leading scorer for the past two seasons and has averaged double-digit points in all four of her years in Westwood. In 36 appearances in 2022-2023, the 5-foot-9 guard averaged 15.9 points, a career-high 5.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 38.7% from the field and 29.2% from beyond the arc.
With the addition of freshman Kiki Rice as the point guard last offseason, Osborne was able to shift to shooting guard and play more of a shooter role rather than a facilitator.
Osborne rose up to No. 9 on UCLA’s all-time career points list this March, dropping 36 against No. 5 seed Oklahoma in the NCAA tournament. Entering next season at 1,798, Osborne could have a chance to get as high as No. 2 at her current pace.
In the latest 2023 WNBA mock draft from CBS Sports, the Moreno Valley, California, native was projected to be selected by the Atlanta Dream No. 8 overall. However, by withdrawing from the draft process, Osborne has one last shot to help lead UCLA past the Sweet 16 and further into the national championship conversation.
Brown, on the other hand, started 32 of 36 games for coach Cori Close's Bruins this year. The Lonestar State native averaged career-highs across the board with 3.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, while also recording 28 blocks and 29 steals across the campaign.
Although Brown is not traditionally a scorer, she emerged with a career-high nine points in UCLA's Pac-12 tournament semifinal win over Arizona.
The 5-foot-11 wing would likely play a similar role on the Bruins in the 2023-2024 season.
With only four-star post Amanda Muse entering the fold for UCLA out of high school season, and Osborne and Brown now both returning, Close could rely on a similar – albeit deeper – rotation heading into next year.
Osborne and Brown, in all likelihood, will return to the starting lineup, while freshman guard Londynn Jones and freshman forward Gabriela Jaquez could compete to replace Conti.
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