This post was updated Aug. 18 at 10:42 p.m.

Many former Bruins are competing in professional sporting leagues as UCLA Athletics takes a break for the summer. Each week, Daily Bruin Sports will take a look at recent standout performances of former UCLA greats as the fall inches nearer. This week’s edition recaps what would’ve been missed during the Olympic Games.

Men’s basketball: Johnny Juzang, Utah Jazz

Two years after going undrafted, Johnny Juzang officially inked a four-year, $12 million contract with the NBA’s Utah Jazz on Tuesday.

The guard has been a standout talent since his early days at Pauley Pavilion.

After spending his freshman year at Kentucky, Juzang transferred to UCLA men’s basketball amid the COVID-19 pandemic, where he was granted a waiver for immediate eligibility and made a swift impact.

In the 2021 NCAA Tournament, Juzang scored over 20 points in four consecutive games, leading UCLA to its first Final Four appearance since 2008, and was named the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player in the East Region.

Juzang initially declared for the 2021 NBA Draft but retained his collegiate eligibility and returned to Westwood for the following season. Although his season was marred by injury, Juzang led the team with 15.6 points per game and steered it to the Sweet 16.

The former Bruin ace declared again in 2022 but went undrafted. Later signing a two-way contract with the team, Juzang played for the Utah Jazz in the 2022 NBA Summer League.

A wrist sprain delayed his NBA debut to February 2023. After a year of growing accustomed to the league, Juzang delivered a career-high 27 points against the Golden State Warriors on April 7, signaling a new era of his professional career.

Women’s Tennis: Ena Shibahara

Ena Shibahara’s glory has transcended the Westwood courts.

Most recently competing in the W100 Cary, North Carolina Tournament – where she defeated Kristina Penickova on straight sets in the first round – Shibahara is building her legacy brick by brick.

A member of UCLA women’s tennis from 2016 to 2018, Shibahara was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and Pac-12 Singles Player of the Year as a rookie. In 2016, Shibahara debuted in the U.S. Open in girls doubles and won the junior title.

 

Ranked as the No. 1 singles player in the preseason, Shibahara returned her sophomore year and went undefeated in 10 consecutive singles matches for a season best. She maintained UCLA’s best doubles winning percentage on the team and spearheaded her team to a round-two appearance in the NCAA Championships.

Following her doubles wins in the Tianjin Open and Kremlin Cup, Shibahara reached the semifinals at Wimbledon and represented Japan in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The milestones continued for the Bruin in 2024 when she won her first WTA Tour main-draw singles match at the Prague Open and competed in women’s and mixed doubles during her second Olympic Games.

Softball: Sharlize Palacios

Ranked as a top-40 recruit out of high school, Sharlize Palacios has always made her way to the top quickly.

This past week, Palacios, who was one of just 15 players selected in the 2024 Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball College Draft, moved 31 spots up the AU Pro Softball League leaderboard to break into eighth place. With her two homers – including a grand slam – the Bruin leads the league in homers and RBI.

 

After attending Arizona for two years and earning All-Pac-12 First-Team honors, Palacios transferred to UCLA. Before her time with the Bruins, Palacios was a member of Team USA in the Japan All-Star series, leading the squad to victory as Canada Cup Champions in 2022.

In the catcher’s first campaign donning the blue and gold, Palacios was honored as All-Pac-12 Second Team and All-Defensive Team member. In her final year in Westwood, the Pac-12 Tournament MVP led the Bruins in the Women’s College World Series.

This year, Palacios joins the Athletes Unlimited professional softball league alongside her sister, catcher Sashel Palacios, with Sharlize earning first- and second-place MVP honors for Week 3.

With the structure of AU Pro Softball – where teams are redrafted by captains every week – Sharlize and Sashel will face off as opponents Saturday, just days after competing as teammates.