Even though the UCLA Bruins are bringing in the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2025 class according to ESPN’s rankings, incoming freshman Sienna Betts won’t need to be a game-changer for the Bruins for UCLA to find success.
There’s no doubt that Betts is a highly-regarded prospect, as she set a new girl’s state record for rebounds in the state of Colorado but with the Bruins having Sienna’s older sister, reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Lauren Betts, holding down the center position, UCLA can afford to have Sienna focus on her development this season.
The USC Women’s Basketball Media Lab chose the Bruins as the favorite in the Big Ten, even without expecting major contributions from the younger Betts sister.
“She has a lot of growth that she has to achieve,” Analyst Cece Clay said of Sienna Betts. “I think being on UCLA, under her sister, will help her but she has some deficiencies, so I’m not basing the ranking on them receiving Sienna Betts, I’m basing it more on who they have returning and then Charlisse Leger-Walker.”
UCLA has plenty of familiar faces, with Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Angela Dugalic and Gabriela Jaquez all remaining in the fold for Bruins head coach Cori Close. Leger-Walker was with UCLA last year but didn’t play, as she was recovering from a torn ACL she suffered while with Washington State.
“She was the best player on Washington State’s team. She was coming to UCLA as the best player off of Washington State,” Clay said of Leger-Walker. “She’s a good player. She can shoot the ball, she can pass the ball, she can play defense.”
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA women’s basketball could be elite even without top recruit making an impact
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
