UCLA women’s basketball expresses appreciation for 8 players on Senior Day
Graduate student guard Natalie Chou directs her team on offense. Chou is one of eight UCLA women’s basketball players set to don the blue and gold in a regular-season contest for the final time this weekend. (Sarah Teng/Daily Bruin)
By Grace Whitaker
Feb. 23, 2022 7:25 p.m.
As the adage goes, all good things must come to an end.
Eight of the 15 UCLA women’s basketball (11-11, 6-8 Pac-12) players said their farewells to Pauley Pavilion during Senior Day on Sunday. With the Bruins currently sitting at a record under .500, the team will play its final two conference games in Arizona prior to the start of the Pac-12 tournament Wednesday.
Graduate student guard Natalie Chou, averaging 10 points per game this season, is one of five graduating Bruins who have spent four years with the program. Starting in 20 of 21 games for UCLA this season, Chou has achieved multiple new milestones this campaign, including being the 39th player in program history to join the 1,000-point club on Friday.
Close said the seniors will be missed and she is thankful for all the ways they left a mark on the program both on and off the court.
“Ups, downs, the game – I want to say thank you to our seniors and thank you for their contributions,” Close said. “Thank you for their continued willingness to grow, and (I’m) just grateful for that.”
Chou is not the only graduating Bruin to average double digits, as graduate student forward IImar’I Thomas – who joined the team this season after a four-year career at Cincinnati – is putting up 15.5 points per game to rank fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring.
While she has donned the blue and gold for one year, Thomas made a name for herself in the Pac-12 as she and junior guard Charisma Osborne are the only players this season from the same school to both appear in the top 10 of the Pac-12 scoring leaders.
Thomas said she is grateful for her limited time with an iconic program.
“It’s just such a family. These are people I’m going to have in my life forever,” Thomas said. “When you walk in the room, it’s just excellence. You just feel that vibe. I’m just grateful to have played for such a legendary place.”
Another player who joined UCLA with her additional year of eligibility is graduate student guard Jaelynn Penn. Penn has averaged 10.7 points per game for the Bruins this season but has missed seven games.
On the other hand, redshirt senior guard Chantel Horvat has spent her last five years playing for the Bruins. Her highest scoring game this season was on Feb. 13 against Washington, when she scored 13 points and had nine rebounds.
Graduate student guard Gina Conti came to Westwood after spending her first four collegiate years playing for Wake Forest, where she averaged 13.8 points in the 2020-2021 campaign. Conti – who was named All-AAC Second Team last season – has yet to play for the blue and gold because of an injury. Senior guard Eliana Sigal is another Bruin who has played a limited number of games, making appearances in six games after joining the team as a walk-on in 2018.
The final two graduating players honored on Senior Day are redshirt senior guard Kayla Owens and senior guard Kiara Jefferson. While Owens opted out of the 2020-2021 season, she has started 16 games this season. Jefferson similarly opted out of the 2020-2021 season and has yet to see time this year because of injuries.
Close said Jefferson, despite not having time on the court this year, is essential to the growth and mission of the team.
“That kid right there, Kiara Jefferson, the passion and the selflessness of how she stayed engaged this whole time when things really didn’t ever go her way, she’s really special,” Close said. “KJ is a really integral part of what makes UCLA women’s basketball really special.”
The eight graduating Bruins will play their final regular-season games Thursday and Saturday.
