UCLA Women's Basketball: Returning Guard Explains Why She Opted To Forgo 2023 WNBA Draft

Entering the new college basketball season, the UCLA women’s basketball team was seen as one of the favorites to win it all. It speaks to the culture that the Bruins have built for themselves, and the type of players that they have on their roster.

The Bruins run out a ton of talent this season, including guard Charisma Osborne. She decided against heading to the WNBA this season, believing that there was some unfinished business to attend to with the Bruins this year.

“Even if I’m having a bad game, we have 11 other people who are probably going to have a good game,” said Osborne, who led the Bruins with 15.9 points and 5.9 rebounds last year. “I think the potential is crazy.”

Per Charisma Osborne via The LA Times

UCLA made the Sweet Sixteen a year ago, and they are expecting to go even farther this season. They want to take that experience from last season and use it to push them forward this year.

“The possibilities could be historic. The Bruins have been to the Elite Eight only twice and not since 2018. They’ve never been to the Final Four. They are one of five varsity sports at UCLA without an NCAA championship among the school’s 121.”

Per Thuc Nhi Nguyen of The LA Times

The Bruins added in some extra talent as well, bringing in transfer center Lauren Betts over from Stanford. Having Betts in the mix gives them a true dominant piece in the middle of the floor, and it makes the decision of Osborne to return even easier.

Betts will push Osborne to be better each game, and vice versa. The two can play a nice complimentary game, giving UCLA a strong duo this season.

The sky is the limit for the Bruins this year, they just need to go execute their plan. Maybe this will finally be the year that the women’s team claims their first title in the history of the school.

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