This year’s UCLA Bruin women’s basketball team is one to remember. The Bruins may wind up with a half dozen WNBA draft selections and set a single-season win record for the second year in a row. UCLA continued its impressive run with a 92-48 over the Indiana Hoosiers on Sunday.
Lauren Betts in the paint frightens opponents
There were plenty of standout performers for the Bruins but it’s hard to start anywhere besides Lauren Betts. The 6’7” center is an absolute game-changer, each game you can see that the opposing coaching staff implemented all sorts of gamepland to prevent Betts getting 1-on-1 paint touches. Betts can score over double-teams or find open shooters, it’s been the key to UCLA’s offense and it continued on Sunday.
Should UCLA want Lauren Betts taking jumpers?
Betts was great, scoring 16 points and 14 rebounds with an impressive block to end the first half. UCLA’s center went just 6-17 from the field, with a lot of those misses coming on mid-range jumpshots. It’s important for her WNBA career that she’s able to hit those, but she’s yet to do that with any consistency, and at a certain point in might be in UCLA’s best interest for her to pass up those jumpers.
Kiki Rice woke up in the second half
While Betts recorded a double-double in the first half, Kiki Rice took over the reins in the second half. Rice scored 15 of her 17 points after halftime, with the longtime Bruin always being able to calm the UCLA offense.
UCLA’s freshman ferocity
The UCLA seniors deservedly garner much attention but the Bruins two freshmen shined against Indiana. Lena Bilic scored 10 points, smoothly operating as a wing on the perimeter. Sienna Betts also scored 10, using her brute force on the interior.
The Bruins from three will be the key
UCLA went 8-20 from three in the game, which is a very respectable 40% but Gabriela Jaquez and Gianna Kneepkens combined to go 2-9. Lauren Betts is going to create wide open looks from three for those two, along with Rice and Charlisse Leger-Walker, and UCLA will need to knock those downs if they’re going to be able to return to the Final Four.
Charlisse Leger-Walker is a luxury for the Bruins
Leger-Walker was masterful in the game. The Bruins have so many quality options that Leger-Walker can go a bit underused on the offensive end but she added 12 points for the Bruins and can confidently run the offense at any time.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Five Takeaways: Appreciate UCLA’s depth while Bruins are still here
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
