Arizona women’s basketball has a stronger roster this year. How much stronger is the question, and it’s one the Wildcats have an early opportunity to answer. Head coach Becky Burke and her squad will take on the No. 10 UCLA Bruins in Los Angeles on Thursday.
UCLA is not the same team, either. Head coach Cori Close lost quite a bit of firepower from her national championship team after last season.
Six of the eleven players who got into a game on last year’s 37-1 team are now gone. That list includes Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Charlisse Leger-Walker, Gianna Kneepkens, Angela Dugalić, and Gabriela Jaquez.
Those were the team’s top six scorers and six of its top seven rebounders last season. They were the top six players in total assists and steals. The top four players in total blocked shots were also in that group.
The Bruins lost 75.7 of their 83.9 points per game. That’s 90 percent of their scoring. They are missing 32.9 of 42.4 rebounds per game or 78 percent of last year’s boards. They had 281 of 318 total steals graduate, leaving them without 88 percent of last year’s steals. When it comes to assists, 763 of 834 total assists (91 percent) are no longer available. They had 170 total blocks last year, but the six departing players accounted for 140 (82 percent) of them.
Close went into the portal for reinforcements. She got KK Bransford from Notre Dame, Addy Brown from Iowa State, and former Oregon State and TCU guard Donovyn Hunter. While they bring experience, this is a much younger team that hasn’t spent the years together that last year’s Bruins did.
Last season’s UCLA team had five players who started their careers somewhere else, but most were not new to the program. Only Kneepkens came over during the offseason. Leger-Walker was only on the court for one season, but she spent two in the program. Betts and Dugalić both spent three years at UCLA. Rice and Jaquez were four-year members of the team.
Up next for Arizona women’s basketball
Who: Arizona Wildcats (2-0) @ UCLA Bruins (2-0)
When: Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026 at 8:30 p.m. MST
Where: Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, Calif.
Streaming: FOX Sports app
As expected, the losses have had an impact. The Bruins were regularly blowing out teams around the country. They outscored their opponents by 27.4 points per game last season.
That wasn’t confined to overmatched mid-majors or bottom dwellers of the Power 4 leagues. UCLA played 11 ranked teams during the regular season. It lost its first matchup against Texas by the score of 76-65. It was not only the only loss of the season, but the Bruins went on to outscore the other 10 ranked opponents by 16.4 ppg. In the Final Four, they beat Texas by four and South Carolina by a whopping 28.
Things didn’t get tougher in the NCAA Tournament. Despite the level of their opponents, the Bruins won their six games by an average of 23.8 ppg, including dominating South Carolina by 28 in the title game.
The Bruins have yet to play anyone of that caliber this the regular season, but they did play exhibitions against two Power 4 programs. They defeated California 87-53 in the first exhibition then fell to Texas by the score of 81-64.
The Bruins are 2-0 with wins over Lehigh and UC Irvine in the regular season. They have not left Pauley Pavilion and won’t until they play Tennessee on Nov. 22. They only play two true road games during nonconference, although their level of opponents will improve as they move into mid-December. They will face Duke, South Carolina, and Texas in three straight games on neutral courts.
Despite what looks like a few steps backwards, the Bruins are still a strong team. Brown was arguably more important to Iowa State’s success than Audi Crooks over the past several years. UCLA added coveted Spanish guard Somto Okafor via its freshman class. Sienna Betts, Timea Gardiner, Hunter, and Bransford were all highly regarded in high school and have had strong college careers.
There are tendencies that Arizona can exploit, though. The biggest one is that this year’s Bruins can be forced into turnovers. UCLA turned the ball over 18 times in its televised exhibition against Texas. The Longhorns had 20 points off turnovers and won by 17. While Cal only forced 11 turnovers, the Golden Bears still scored 15 points off those giveaways.
Those turnovers have continued to be an issue even against mid-major competition. Lehigh turned the Bruins over 15 times. UC Irvine got 17 takeaways. In each game, one Bruin had five or more turnovers.
The Wildcats are forcing 22.5 turnovers per game which ranks 70th in Division I. They get 11 steals per game, enabling them to get out and run. It will be a key component for Arizona if it hopes to pull off the upset.
That’s not the opponent’s only weakness. Like Arizona, UCLA has trouble hitting its free throws. The Bruins went 7 for 12 from the line against Lehigh. They followed that up with a 10 for 15 night against UC Irvine.
The Wildcats will have to grab every opportunity they have. They must avoid letdowns like they had in the fourth quarter against Iona. They have a huge opening to announce themselves on the national stage. Can they walk through it?