How UCLA's trio of freshmen keep the joy coming during March
SACRAMENTO, CA – The loudest cheer from the pro- UCLA crowd in the Bruins’ Sweet 16 blowout win over Minnesota on March 27 came on a play that had no impact on the outcome. Christina Karamouzi , a freshman from Sweden, scored her first points since New Year’s Eve with a late-game corner triple to send the UCLA bench and fan section directly behind it into a frenzy. Fellow freshmen Lena Bilic and Sienna Betts , both on floor, jumped for joy when the shot dropped.
The trio of freshmen, who call themselves “Slizzy,” have embraced their roles on an experienced squad. Four of the starters for the Bruins are projected to be first-round WNBA draft picks this year, so minutes for the rookies have been hard to come by. “It's definitely been hard since we are on a really talented team and we have a lot of players who are projected to go to the draft,” Bilic said.
“Just having each other really helps us out because we're all going through the same thing, we get to talk to each other a lot, and it's a really good thing that we actually like each other. ” Six of the stars for the Bruins won’t be in Westwood next year. The door will be wide open for Slizzy to enter the limelight.
“They're really talented, skilled players,” Lauren Betts, older sister of Sienna, said. “I have all the confidence in the world in them that they're going to carry this team to amazing things next year, and in the next few years. So excited for them.
” In preparation for this reality, veterans Charlisse Ledger-Walker and Angela Dugalic have taken the trio under their wing. They even helped Karamouzi and Bilic, both international recruits, set up their bank accounts and phone numbers when they arrived on campus. While Dugalic is close with the foreign-born component of Slizzy, she shares a special connection with Sienna Betts.