A myriad of firsts consume the Bruins ahead of their season opener.

For the first time in program history, No. 5 UCLA women’s basketball will open its season outside the United States – taking on No. 17 Louisville in Paris on Monday at the Adidas Arena. The Bruins and Cardinals have never played each other, and with seven new players on UCLA’s roster, the starting lineup remains undetermined.

“A lot of different moving pieces,” said graduate student forward Angela Dugalić. “Now it’s just figuring out how to put all this together.”

Among the seven new players are four freshmen – guards Avary Cain and Elina Aarnisalo and forwards Zania Socka-Nguemen and Kendall Dudley – who make up the nation’s No. 4 recruiting class.

“The freshmen have been great, just learning everything,” said junior guard Gabriela Jaquez. “I know it can be hard, but they play really hard, super excited for them.”

Socka-Nguemen and Dudley are familiar with each other’s play style – and that of junior guard Kiki Rice – as the trio all attended Sidwell Friends School before joining UCLA. Dudley – the No. 18 recruit in the U.S. – is the highest-ranked freshman of UCLA’s recruiting class.

However, it’s Finland local Aarnisalo who is one of the most anticipated freshmen at UCLA.

“(She’s) very impactful and will get significant time right off the bat,” said coach Cori Close.

Despite the absence of seniors on their squad, the Bruins are adding experience with three new transfers – graduate student guard Charlisse Leger-Walker and junior forwards Janiah Barker and Timea Gardiner. While Leger-Walker and Gardiner come from former Pac-12 teams, Barker has SEC experience.

“Having more experience is going to be very helpful,” Jaquez said. “We’re a majority upperclassmen, so just all of us leading the freshmen, leading everyone to that will be really important.”

Last season, Barker was the youngest player and only sophomore to be selected for the SEC Preseason First Team. She logged eight double-doubles while averaging 12.2 points and 7.6 boards.

Despite enduring a season-ending knee injury in January, Leger-Walker recorded two triple-doubles and earned her fourth All-Pac-12 honor – becoming the first player in Washington State program history to do so. Meanwhile, Gardiner earned the 2024 Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year.

In addition to opening a new season, UCLA is partnering with Louisville to host a basketball clinic together in under-resourced areas in France – honoring Jan Cloyde, who was one of UCLA’s largest donors.

“I think you get a chance to have a trip like that, it’s important that you have a service mindset,” Close said. “This is not just a basketball trip, it’s a cultural experience, it’s a service project and it’s an educational experience.”

Although the Bruins and Cardinals have never met on the court, Close and Louisville coach Jeff Walz led USA Basketball’s 2018 U18 Women’s National Team together.

Women’s basketball has skyrocketed in the last two years, culminating record-breaking viewership in high-stakes games. The Bruins’ inaugural season in the Big Ten adds to the excitement of the upcoming season.

“​​There’s just so many reasons to be excited about women’s basketball,” Close said. “It’s not a matter of, ‘Hey, come help us build it.’ No, we’re here, and you better not miss out.”