What's next for UCLA? Meet top recruits, returning players after national championship triumph
Here's a look at how UCLA's roster could look in 2026-27.
What's next for UCLA? Meet top recruits, returning players after national championship triumph originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
A championship banner will be billowing in Pauley Pavilion come the start of the 2026-27 season. This one belongs to the women; Cori Close's side finally scaled the mountaintop, downing South Carolina in historic fashion to hoist its first-ever national title. A target will be placed firmly on the Bruins' back come the start of the 2026-27 season.
This year's iteration of UCLA teemed with experience, with seniors accounting for each of the Bruins' last 173 points in the tournament. Close's side featured six seniors: Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Gianna Kneepkens, Charlisse Leger-Walker and Angela Dugali. All six are slated to leave Los Angeles' shores in 2026-27, setting the stage for plenty of upheaval.
So, just what's on deck for the Bruins in 2026-26 and beyond? Which players could take the mantle from Betts, Jaquez and Co. in the coming few seasons?