The UCLA Bruins women’s basketball team had a massive season despite another Sweet 16 loss, this time to LSU.
But, the future is bright, and they should be a dangerous team in 2024-2025 with some big transfer portal additions.
Talia Goodman of On3 HER dropped her way-too-early top 25 rankings, and the UCLA Bruins are pretty high on the list at No.6.
The UCLA Bruins return key pieces in Kiki Rice and Lauren Betts, along with adding former Washington State standout point guard Charlisse Leger-Walker. She’ll help replace Charisma Osborne. The Bruins’ most recent addition is Oregon State transfer Timea Gardiner, another top portal player with two years of eligibility remaining. With an impressive incoming class of newcomers and a solid core of returners, UCLA has the pieces to make a deep postseason run.
The top five, in order, are USC, South Carolina, UConn, Texas, and Notre Dame, with UCLA being one spot ahead of LSU — the ones that knocked them out in the Sweet 16 this past season.
The other Big Ten Conference teams on this list are Indiana. Maryland, Iowa, and Ohio State, so the Big Ten women’s basketball schedule will be very difficult for all parties.