UCLA women’s basketball will look very different next season. The reigning national champions lost six key players to the WNBA and welcomed five new transfers and two freshmen to the team during the offseason.
The Bruins dominated last season and are now in a rebuilding phase going into the 2026-27 season. As UCLA navigates the pressure that comes after winning a national championship, coach Cori Close said the Bruins are building a new identity.
Close explained how UCLA is a brand new team who will approach the upcoming season in a unique way. Rather than chase the same outcome as last season’s team, Close and the Bruins are focused on the process of becoming a championship team.
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“We get to walk out and live out what we learn from the championship run,” Close said to reporters after UCLA’s first practice of the season on Thursday. “But we’re also not trying to repeat a championship outcome. We’re trying to repeat a championship process. And success leaves clues. There are things that we want to make sure we carry over from what we learn.
“But this is a new art project. This is a new identity. This is a new chance. The standards don’t change, but the way we go about it is going to be unique to this team, and that’s really fun to explore.”
Who Are The Seven New Bruins?
UCLA was very active in the transfer portal this offseason, acquiring five transfers for the 2026-27 roster.
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The five transfers are KK Bransford (Notre Dame), Addy Brown (Iowa State), Bonnie Deas (Arkansas), Donovyn Hunter (TCU) and Elina Aarnisalo (North Carolina). Aarnisalo played for UCLA during the 2024-25 season then transferred to North Carolina for her sophomore season and is now back at UCLA for her junior campaign.
“These girls are obviously really talented, come from really different programs,” returning sophomore Sienna Betts said, per the Los Angeles Times. “It takes a second to adjust to Coach Cori’s rhythm, and her offense, and just how she runs practice and games. But I think they’re doing a great job integrating in, and they’re all just great human beings off the court and on the court. So, I’m really excited for this group.”
Additionally, UCLA signed two freshmen guards in Lina Jerković and Somto Okafor.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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