UCLA women’s basketball just keeps winning.
The latest edition of UCLA Unlocked was delayed one day so that we could include what turned out to be a magical, recording setting WNBA draft night for the Bruins.
UCLA set a WNBA draft record with five players selected in the first round and another draft record with six selected overall during the three-round draft Monday night in New York.
The Bruins rocked the orange carpet and then waited with UCLA coach Cori Close and their families to learn their draft fate.
UCLA Bruins Angela Dugalic, Kiki Rice, Gianna Kneepkens, Lauren Betts and Gabriela Jaquez pose on the orange carpet at the WNBA draft in New York.
(Angelina Katsanis / Getty Images)
They didn’t wait long. Lauren Betts was first off the board, selected by the Washington Mystics with the No. 4 pick.
“These are like my sisters, and getting to watch your family do something like that is amazing,” Betts told the Associated Press. “But I mean, this team is just so special. We knew the type of players that we had on the team, and to really just have this night really showcase all of the things that we’ve worked on all season is just amazing.”
Gabriela Jaquez was next in line, getting drafted higher than expected when the Chicago Sky used the No. 5 pick to select her.
“Jaquez is a battle-tested three-level scorer who improved every year in college,” Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said. “Combine her on-skill talent with the fact that she’s a proven winner, and you have a player that perfectly fits the Sky’s vision.”
Next, Kiki Rice was selected No. 6 by the Toronto Tempo.
After a few gaps, Angela Dugalic was drafted at the No. 9 spot by the Mystics and Gianna Kneepkens was drafted at the No. 15 spot by the Connecticut Sun.
“We’re excited to welcome Gianna to our team,” Sun general manager Morgan Tuck said. “She’s experienced success UCLA within a winning culture and brings a mindset defined by toughness and consistency every time she steps on the floor on both ends. Her shooting ability is elite and truly sets her apart, but we’re equally impressed by the complete game she’s shown throughout her college career.”
UCLA guard Charlisse Leger-Walker poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected No. 18 by the Connecticut Sun on Monday in New York.
(Pamela Smith / Associated Press)
The WNBA made a ridiculous decision, opting not to officially invite the sixth member of UCLA’s super senior and graduate student class to the draft. Charlisse Leger-Walker went anyway as a guest and was the record sixth Bruin selected, getting drafted in the second round by the Sun with the No. 18 overall pick. She became the first player from New Zealand to ever be drafted.
Leger-Walker told reporters in New York that Dugalic gave up two of her seats at the draft so Leger-Walker and her mother could attend. For the record, Leger-Walker was picked ahead of one player the WNBA officially invited to New York.
“Given how critical the point guard position is, we’re thrilled to welcome Charlisse to our team,” Tuck said. “Her ability to push the pace while also running the offense and leading her teammates is something we truly value. She comes from a winning program, and her skill set, poise and basketball IQ position her game to translate seamlessly to the professional level.”
Close kept popping up to hug her stars and after a season of insisting the journey mattered more than the result, she conceded Monday night mattered.
“Well, I mean, I sort of do care about this one actually, because No. 1, it helps us in recruiting. I think we’ve really taken a developmental approach to this and to see it come to fruition the way it has is obviously really gratifying,” Close told the Associated Press.
“Just to be a part of an historic night and for them to be so excited for each other, that’s sort of representative of how they’ve been all year long. But it’s a pretty cool record to be a part of.”
Bob Chesney leads the UCLA football team in its first spring practice on April 2.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The UCLA-feel good energy hasn’t skipped the football program, with new coach Bob Chesney and his staff leading the Bruins through spring football workouts.
Here are three takeaways from the first five spring football practices:
1. No one is naming names.
It’s hard to get coaches or the two football players UCLA has made available for interviews so far this spring to volunteer the names of any players who have performed exceptionally well during spring practice.
“Yeah, um, I don’t want to name drop because I know I’m going to miss a couple, but I think the whole O-line and the whole receiver room collectively have been bringing it every practice and I’ve loved competing with them,” UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava told reporters when asked for his thoughts about the receivers and offensive linemen.
When he was asked who on the defense was making his life difficult, Iamaleava responded: “From the defense? You know, I’m not going to give them too much credit, but I think they do a good job of disguising their coverages.”
Safety Cole Martin was equally measured in his response when asked who were the toughest offensive players to cover.
“I feel like everybody just has their own skill set. You know, learning what they do good, what they don’t do well and trying to figure out how to beat them — ’cause, I mean, it’s spring ball,” Martin said.
The team held its first workout in full pads Saturday and it’s unlikely this embargo on identifying top performers will last forever, but an emphasis on wide open competition has been adopted by coaches and players.
2. Iamaleava is trying to stay on the field.
The quarterback said Saturday he weighs 218 pounds and hopes to reach 220 to 225 pounds by the season opener.
“I took a couple of hits last year and it took a toll on the body, but I think just me recovering over the offseason and coming in ready to work and getting bigger was the main thing for me this offseason,” he said. “So yeah, hopefully when I get to the season I’ll be able to take those hits a little easier.”
3. Martin and Iamaleava have fully embraced Chesney’s emphasis on winning on and off the field.
“How you live your life is going to correlate with how you are on the field,” Martin told reporters Saturday. “When you have great habits outside, you’re going to have great play on the field. Coach Chesney is big on making sure that we realize that you can’t live an average life and then go be amazing at football. Everything has to match up, so if it means that you gotta go to class super, super early or if you gotta wake up really, really early — or whatever that may mean for you and how that individual is — do that and your play on the field will correlate.”
Reddemann recognized
Logan Reddemann of UCLA tied a record with 18 strikeouts on Friday against Rutgers.
(Craig Weston)
UCLA junior right-handed pitcher Logan Reddemann swept weekly awards for his performance during the Bruins’ 4-1 win over Rutgers in 14 innings Friday night.
Reddemann earned Golden Spikes player of the week, College Baseball Foundation pitcher of the week, Perfect Game pitcher of the week and Big Ten pitcher of the week and was named to Baseball America’s team of the week. He delivered an NCAA single game record-tying 18 strikeouts over eight innings, leading a Bruins staff that totaled 30 strikeouts, one shy of the NCAA single-game record.
No. 1 UCLA will put its program record 27-game winning streak on the line when it hosts UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. The game air on the Big Ten Network.
UCLA’s next national title?
UCLA senior Jordan Chiles shouts while competing on the floor exercise during the the meet against Utah.
(Jesus Ramirez / UCLA Athletics)
Is the Bruins’ gymnastics team is next in line to win a national title?
Jordan Chiles, an Olympic gold medalist and the NCAA West Region gymnast of the year, will lead UCLA during the NCAA gymnastics championships starting Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas.
UCLA will compete in a semifinal against Oklahoma, Arkansas and Minnesota. The Bruins will start on the bars, then proceed to the beam, floor exercise and vault.
The top two teams advance to the finals Saturday against the top two teams from another semifinal featuring LSU, Stanford, Florida and Georgia.
UCLA’s semifinal begins at 6 p.m. Thursday and will air on ESPN2. The finals will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday and air on ABC.
Transfers help basketball teams reload
The men’s and women’s basketball teams have picked up transfers since the portal opened last week.
The women’s basketball team added North Carolina junior guard Elina Aarinsalo, senior TCU guard Donovyn Hunter and Arkansas sophomore guard Bonnie Deas.
Along with returner Timea Gardiner, the Bruins are starting to form a core to defend their national championship. Gardiner was a starter during UCLA’s 2024-25 Final Four run, but she missed all of this last season with an injury and has one season of eligibility left.
The men’s team has picked up commitments from Auburn forward Filip Jovic, Mississippi State forward Sergej Macura and Texas Tech transfer guard Jaylen Petty.
UCLA coach Mick Cronin also retained key pieces of his roster, including Trent Perry and Eric Dailey Jr.
In case you missed it
UCLA breaks WNBA draft records with five first-round picks and six overall
‘Coach Chesney is a winner.’ Nico Iamaleava and Cole Martin sold on Bruins’ new leader
Letters to Sports: Celebrating UCLA’s inspiring national title win
Logan Reddemann strikes out 18; No. 1 UCLA wins in 14 innings over Rutgers
UCLA women’s basketball lands first transfer since winning NCAA championship
‘L.A. cares about women’s basketball now’: UCLA celebrates its national championship
Sondheimer: Mira Costa High volleyball star Mateo Fuerbringer thrives when under pressure
Water spray, chaos and stress tests: Inside Bob Chesney’s UCLA practice philosophy
Here is who decimated national champion UCLA could target in the transfer portal
Plaschke: Aday Mara’s Michigan national title exposes UCLA coach Mick Cronin’s failure
UCLA women’s basketball players crown Cori Close as their champion
Have something Bruin?
Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email newsletters editor Houston Mitchell at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.