How Charlisse Leger-Walker and Gianna Kneepkens have elevated UCLA into title contenders

UCLA women's basketball players stand in a circle and cheer before they faced Minnesota during the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament on Friday in Sacramento. (Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times) While the UCLA women’s basketball team has a veteran roster that was in this exact position a season ago, the Bruins have an entirely different vibe during their current postseason run. The No.

1-seed Bruins (34-1) will face No. 3-seed Duke (27-8) in the Elite Eight on Sunday for the chance to go back to the Final Four a year after UCLA beat Louisiana State to reach the Final Four before immediately suffering a blowout loss to eventual national champion UConn . This year, they expect something different, in large part because of an upgraded starting lineup.

A tangible difference is the addition of Charlisse Leger-Walker and Gianna Kneepkens. Each was the top scorer on their former squads — Washington State and Utah, respectively — and have taken on drastically different roles as arguably the fourth and fifth pieces of this Bruins team. Charlisse Leger-Walker hits a reverse layup in front of Minnesota's Grace Grocholski during the tournament on Friday in Sacramento.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times) “It’s huge we have them,” said senior Gabriela Jaquez , who has spent her entire NCAA career with the Bruins. “They’re perfect fits here. Charlisse as a point guard has been great, and then just being a guard out there, a ready shooter, doing whatever we need, and obviously them being able to defend is really great for our team.