Illinois Coach Says UCLA Women’s Basketball Has ‘The Pieces to Win It All’

UCLA women’s basketball is on a 14-game winning streak and remains undefeated in the Big Ten conference. With six seniors leading the team, the Bruins have caught the attention of several coaches around the NCAA as March Madness inches closer.

Most recently, UCLA defeated Illinois on the road by a score of 80-67 on Wednesday. After the game, Illinois head coach Shauna Green gave her praise to UCLA and even told reporters that she showed her team film of the Bruins as an example of what Illinois could eventually become.

Green also highlighted that UCLA’s core is built around players that have been with the program for multiple seasons. Seniors Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez committed to UCLA as freshmen, while graduate student Angela Dugalić and senior Lauren Betts transferred to UCLA by their sophomore seasons.

UCLA added graduate student guard Gianna Kneepkens from Utah to the squad through the transfer portal this season. And graduate student guard Charlisse Leger-Walker is back on the court for the first time since transferring from Washington State in 2024.

Green said she believes UCLA has everything it needs to win a national championship this season.

“I think UCLA has all the pieces to win it all, and I’ll be cheering for them,” Green said to reporters, per Tristan Thomas on X.

Bruins Entering the 2026 WNBA Draft

Multiple Bruins will be declaring for the 2026 WNBA Draft after the conclusion of this season.

Betts, who is a reigning first-team All-American and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, is projected to be one of the top picks in the upcoming draft. She could even go No. 1 overall in the draft, which would send her to the Dallas Wings.

Kneepkens, Jaquez and Rice are projected to be one of the top 20 picks in the draft. Jaquez became a full-time starter for UCLA last season and has put together one of the strongest seasons of her career as a senior this year.

Meanwhile, Dugalić and Leger-Walker are also expected to enter the draft after this season.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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