Former Oregon State forward Timea Gardiner commits to UCLA women’s basketball
Former Oregon State forward Timea Gardiner runs on the court. Gardiner announced her transfer to UCLA women’s basketball on Wednesday via social media. (Jake Greenberg-Bell/Daily Bruin staff)
By Gavin Carlson
May 5, 2024 12:19 p.m.
This post was updated May 5 at 10:03 p.m.
The Bruins ranked at the top of the country in rebounding margin last season.
Beyond 6-foot-7 sophomore center Lauren Betts, UCLA women’s basketball’s roster boasted six players standing at 6-foot-2 or higher that each contributed to the team’s dominance on the glass.
But with at least three of those six players expected to be elsewhere next season, a front court hole needed to be filled.
And from a former conference foe, help is on the way.
Former Oregon State forward Timea Gardiner transferred to UCLA women’s basketball last week, announcing her commitment on social media Wednesday before the program confirmed the addition Saturday. The addition of the 6-foot-3 sophomore comes after UCLA’s 6-foot-2 sophomore forward Christeen Iwuala transferred to Ole Miss and senior forward Emily Bessoir – who stands at 6-foot-4 – announced her departure from the program last month.
Fellow 6-foot-4 senior forward Izzy Anstey also already announced her retirement from basketball in the middle of last season, and 247Sports has reported that sophomore forward Lina Sontag – who stands at 6-foot-3 – is retiring from collegiate basketball as well.
Thus, Gardiner has an opportunity to earn significant playing time in Westwood next season.
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“Timea is a perfect fit for us,” said Coach Cori Close in a statement. “She is a versatile forward, an elite shooter, passionate about winning and becoming a pro, and she has a high basketball IQ. All that, and her character is even better.”
Gardiner averaged 11.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in her first full collegiate season last campaign, following a freshman season shortened to 15 games due to injury. The Utah local notably tallied consecutive double-doubles in the final two games of the Beavers’ run to the Elite Eight, scoring 21 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in a win against Notre Dame before a 10-point, 12-rebound performance against the eventual national champions in South Carolina.
She’s also quite familiar with the Bruins.
In addition to playing three games against UCLA in her young career, the career 38.8% 3-pointer shooter already has experience playing alongside Betts and sophomore guards Kiki Rice and Londynn Jones. The four played together with USA Basketball in 2019 and won a gold medal at the U16 Americas Women’s Championship.
Now, alongside UCLA’s incoming No. 3-ranked high school recruiting class, Gardiner is set to contribute to the Bruins’ ongoing quest for their first Final Four appearance in program history.
