UCLA enters the 2026-27 season with the kind of label that can feel both flattering and frustrating at the same time: reigning national champion, yet slotted at No. 11 in the preseason rankings.
That placement speaks to the churn around this roster as much as it does to what the Bruins accomplished last season. UCLA is back on top of the sport, but almost none of the core that carried it there is returning.
Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Charlisse Leger-Walker, Angela Dugalic, and Gianna Kneepkens are all gone to the WNBA or because of eligibility exhaustion, taking roughly 90% of the team’s scoring with them. It is the kind of departure that can wipe out a program’s identity in a hurry.
So while Sienna Betts and Timea Gardiner remain in place, Cori Close had to rebuild the rest of the picture through the transfer portal. Addy Brown from Iowa State, Donovyn Hunter from TCU, KK Bransford from Notre Dame, and several other transfers now have to help form a new starting five. The challenge is simple enough to say and difficult enough to solve: make it all fit fast.
The schedule is not giving UCLA much breathing room, either. The Bruins are heading into a Big Ten that looks loaded on paper, with a record nine teams in the Preseason AP Poll: No.
3 USC, No. 5 Michigan, No.
10 Iowa, No. 11 UCLA, No.
16 Washington, No. 17 Minnesota, No.
18 Ohio State, No. 20 Maryland, and No.
23 Illinois.
USC stands out immediately, especially with Juju Watkins back after suffering a torn ACL during the 2025 NCAA Tournament. When healthy, Watkins is a leading candidate for First Team All-American recognition.
UCLA’s own path is lined with difficult tests as well. A 37-1 repeat would be hard to imagine with No.
1 South Carolina, No. 4 Duke, and No.
6 Texas all on the nonconference slate, along with those ranked Big Ten opponents waiting later. With that level of turnover, there is a case to be made that No. 11 is generous.
And yet the Bruins are still the champions, and Close is still the one steering the program. She has shown before that she can turn over a roster and get it moving again quickly, which is why there is at least some logic behind the preseason respect.
UCLA opens its 2026-27 campaign Tuesday with an 11:30 tipoff against Lehigh. After that comes UC Irvine, Arizona, Princeton, and Cal Poly before the nonconference schedule gets much more demanding.
In Other News...
UCLA's Hot Start Just Created A Bob Chesney Question Fans Feared
A 7-0 start and a No. 7 national ranking have turned UCLAs season into more than just a fast opening run, because success this immediate also brings a familiar headache for any program with an upward trajectory. Bob Chesney has given the Bruins exactly the kind of lift fans hoped for when he arrived last December, and the early results have only strengthened the sense that UCLA may have landed a coach who fits the job.
Chesney has also made clear he is invested in what he is building, praising the school and the opportunity in strong terms while the wins keep piling up. His contract already runs several more years, but when a team starts this hot, the conversation naturally shifts from whether a coach will stay to how a university keeps the relationship aligned if the momentum continues. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Rowe Jr. Is Giving UCLA's Offense A Needed Lift
Brian Rowe Jr. has quickly become one of the more important pieces in UCLAs passing game, and his impact was on display again in the Bruins 28-10 win over Michigan State. The sophomore wide receiver, a transfer from South Carolina, has given UCLA a much-needed lift on offense this season, and his big-play ability has helped the Bruins create some separation in games where every explosive moment matters.
Against the Spartans, Rowe Jr. added another reminder of why he has become such a valuable target, and UCLA will keep leaning on that kind of production as it turns to Nevada. In the background of that preparation, coaches Dean Kennedy and Colin Hitschler were also talking about player development and how the Bruins are sharpening their defensive approach, but the offenses ability to keep finding answers has been just as important to the teams momentum. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs Rotation Battle Just Got More Interesting Before Opening Night
UCLAs exhibition win over San Diego offered another look at a rotation that still feels very much up for grabs, and a few players made their case in a convincing 82-50 result. Trent Perry stood out with 17 points and 7 assists, giving the Bruins a steadier lead guard presence after a quieter first exhibition, while Joe Jovic added 16 points and 6 rebounds in a showing that fit neatly into the teams growing depth chart. Joe Philon also chipped in across the board with 11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks and 3 steals.
For a team trying to sort out roles before opening night, those kinds of nights matter just as much as the final score. The Bruins got enough from Perry, Jovic and Philon to keep the offense moving and the defense active, but the larger question is how that production translates once the games count and the coaching staff has to narrow the rotation for real. [Read more 🡒]