After a historic run to the Final Four in last year’s NCAA Tournament, expectations have only grown during the offseason for UCLA’s 2025-26 women’s basketball team. Thanks to a lineup bolstered by a flurry of new additions and four returning starters, UCLA took their first step in a new season, ripe with promise.
The No. 3-ranked Bruins opened their season on Nov. 3 with a commanding 77-53 win over San Diego State in the inaugural Orange County Hoops Classic, hosted neutrally at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
The new campaign presents an opportunity for new and familiar faces to establish themselves. Star center Lauren Betts, a returning First Team All-American, was her usual dominant force in the paint, cruising to an efficient 21 points on 75% shooting. She was joined in double figures by teammates Kiki Rice, who contributed 10 points, Gabriela Jaquez with 15 points and Charlisse Leger-Walker adding 12. Jaquez also chipped in 11 rebounds to start her year with a double-double.
It was a particularly special night for Leger-Walker, who made her debut for the Bruins after a torn ACL in January 2024 kept her sidelined for nearly two years. She was joined as a debutante by graduate transfer Gianna Kneepkens, who averaged nearly 20 points per game at Utah last year and earned a prominent starting role under coach Cori Close. A notable absence from the UCLA lineup was freshman Sienna Betts, a highly touted recruit as well as Lauren Betts’ younger sister, who is nursing a left leg injury.
From the tip, the Bruins jumped out to a quick eight point lead, but the gritty Aztecs kept the score close and faced a narrow 12-9 deficit after the first quarter. UCLA struggled from three-point land early, shooting 0-7 and salvaging all of their first quarter points from the paint.
The Bruins started to pull away in the second quarter, taking advantage of their size through firm defense and rebounding. Rice connected on the team’s first three-pointer within two minutes of the quarter starting, however the shooting woes would continue, as UCLA shot a measly 2-15 from deep in the first half. What was lacking in shooting was compensated for with rebounding and second chance points, as the Bruins ended with a 49-25 rebounding advantage and held a 37-22 lead at halftime.
The floodgates opened after the break, emphasized by a 16-0 UCLA run during the third quarter. While the Aztecs managed to shoot an impressive 40% from three, the Bruin defense focused their efforts on leading returning scorer Naomi Panganiban, who was held to four points on 2-14 shooting. Coach Close allowed for one final debut in the waning minutes of the 4th quarter by subbing in star softball player Megan Grant, the newest addition to the basketball team in her senior year.
With the game mostly settled, both teams traded baskets until the final buzzer confirmed a 24-point victory to start the Bruins’ season on the right foot.
Up next for UCLA is their home opener against UC Santa Barbara on Thursday, Nov. 6 in Pauley Pavilion.
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Featured Image Photographed by Luana Caravalho/BruinLife
