This post was updated Nov. 3 at 12:13 a.m.

Sienna Betts is already building a legacy in Westwood, and she hasn’t even donned the blue and gold yet.

The forward, whose UCLA debut is one of the most anticipated in recent years, has endorsement deals with companies like New Balance and was the sole freshman in Unrivaled’s 2025 NIL class.

Survey UCLA students, and you’d be hard-pressed to find one who doesn’t know the name Sienna Betts – a reputation she’s earned by being the No. 2 recruit from the class of 2025, according to 247Sports, and the Bruins’ highest-ranked freshman since senior guard Kiki Rice joined the squad in 2022.

But in Betts’ shadow, another freshman phenom could be developing.

Guard/forward Lena Bilić hails from Zagreb, Croatia, and as an unranked prospect, her potential on the court is relatively unstudied.

Bilić represented Croatia at the FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket over the summer, where she averaged 23.6 points, six rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.9 steals per game. She was the leading scorer in the Division B tournament, posting 15 points across just 17 minutes in a win over Norway.

But the crowning jewel of Bilić’s performance was her 41-point outing in the bronze medal match. By hitting 15 of 29 field goal attempts and knocking down six 3-pointers, she led Croatia to an 88-83 win over the host country, and her team earned a Division A promotion.

While Division B FIBA U18 play is a far cry from the competition – and defensive prowess – Bilić will face at the collegiate level, her 40-plus performance is nonetheless impressive. Not only does it signal her offensive efficiency, it also showcases the drive she possesses.

Bilić has played professionally in Croatia since 2022 with ŽKK Trešnjevka 2009 – the same club that produced UConn talent Nika Mühl – and averaged 18 points, 7.1 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game with the team last season.

In her transition from the Croatian First Women’s Basketball League to the NCAA, Mühl went from being a relatively unknown freshman alongside the likes of No. 1 high school recruit Paige Bueckers to getting drafted 14th overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

If Bilić can emulate the development of Mühl throughout her four collegiate years, head coach Cori Close could have another star-studded senior class come 2029.

UCLA’s freshman class, which is made up of European talent apart from Betts, is rounded out by guard Christina Karamouzi out of Stockholm, Sweden. And the Bruins aren’t the only ones looking overseas to scout new prospects.

International recruitment has swept the college basketball world by storm, and at last year’s NCAA tournament, 15% of the athletes competing – both men and women – hailed from outside the United States.

Close has credited associate head coach Tony Newnan as a trailblazer in overseas recruitment, even saying that the WNBA has reached out to use his knowledge of “international pipelines.”

Last season, Newnan ushered in then-freshman guard Elina Aarnisalo, who opened her first season as a Bruin at the starting point guard spot in place of an injured Rice. The Helsinki, Finland, local played in all 37 games for UCLA last year and posted 5.1 points, 3.4 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game while averaging 21 minutes on the court.

And after Aarnisalo’s departure to North Carolina, Bilić might finally be the under-the-radar talent the Bruins have been searching for.

It’s impossible to make accurate assumptions about how a new player will perform come showtime. But Bilić’s preparation and preseason performance hint at the potential playmaker she can be.

In the Bruins’ first closed scrimmage of the season earlier this month against UC Riverside, Bilić led the team in minutes played.

“I really think Lena is going to be really a key factor for us,” Close said. “She’s been shooting the ball much better as we’ve gone along. She’s gotten more confident.”

At practice on Thursday, where WNBA scouts were present to observe UCLA’s numerous seniors and graduate students, Bilić earned a spot on the full-court scrimmage rotation. She not only played a role in the team’s ball movement but sank multiple 3-pointers alongside the likes of guards senior Gabriela Jaquez and graduate student Gianna Kneepkens.

Carving out playing time on a roster that includes three of the top-15 projected selections in the 2026 WNBA Draft will be difficult.

But with Sienna Betts out for at least the first game of the season because of a lower leg strain, the freshman everyone has their eyes on come Nov. 3 could be Bilić – so it is time for the Bruin faithful to familiarize themselves with her name.