One week after winning its first national championship in the March Madness era, UCLA women’s basketball made history once again at the 2026 WNBA Draft. A record-breaking six Bruins were drafted, with five taken in the first round.

The recent collective bargaining agreement, alongside a high quantity of free agents, has shaken up many WNBA teams, so here is a breakdown of how each drafted Bruin will fit into their new squad.

Lauren Betts, Washington Mystics

Senior center Lauren Betts was selected fourth overall by the Washington Mystics. She was the first UCLA player to hear her name called.

Betts led the Bruins in scoring and rebounding all three years she was in Westwood and ended her senior campaign averaging 17.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. The two-time First Team All-American entered the draft as an expected lottery pick, and the Mystics were not going to let her pass through.

With that said, Washington is a front-court-heavy team, with 10 of the 17 players on the training camp roster listed as forwards or centers. The 2026 NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player boasts an advantage with her 6-foot-7 frame, and she joins center. Shakira Austin as the only players on the squad surpassing the 6-foot-4 mark.

The Mystics are a young team with only former Bruin Michaela Onyenwere and Austin having completed more than one WNBA season. This will allow Betts to slide in and become a core part of a developing roster.

Betts has played with two players on the training camp roster in her career – fellow Bruin graduate forward Angela Dugalić and forward Kiki Iriafen, who was Betts’ teammate at Stanford her freshman year. Onyenwere also joined the UCLA squad as an assistant coach for Betts’ senior campaign.

In a roster loaded with rookies and second-year veterans, Betts has an opportunity to become a key piece in the squad’s quest to improve on last season’s 10th-place finish.

Gabriela Jaquez, Chicago Sky

Senior guard Gabriela Jaquez was selected by the Chicago Sky fifth overall.

Jaquez saw her stock skyrocket after posting her best season her senior year, moving from a possible second-round projection to a top-five pick. She averaged 13.5 points per game on 53.9% shooting from the field, both career-high marks, alongside 5.5 rebounds per game.

But her talents go beyond her offensive prowess. She recorded 43 steals throughout the season, third on the team, while also being a true glue player. Through her four years, she stepped into different roles depending on what the team demanded.

Her ability to adjust to whatever is needed of her should allow her to carve an important role in Chicago. The Sky saw a lot of off-season turnover, trading two of their three leading scorers from the 2025 season.

With these losses, though, the program brought in top talent, including six-time All-Star and four-time First Team All-WNBA member guard Skylar Diggins, former Most Improved Player and 2024 All-Defensive First Team selection DiJonai Carrington and forward Rickea Jackson, who has averaged 14 points across her two seasons in the league.

Jaquez’s performance at training camp will be crucial, as the team has 19 athletes on its training camp roster, which will be cut down to 12 before the season starts. But Jaquez’s adaptability in playing both guard and forward roles should allow her to stand out and slide into a rebuilding Sky squad.

Kiki Rice, Toronto Tempo

Senior guard Kiki Rice was selected sixth overall by the Toronto Tempo in the team’s first-ever WNBA Draft pick.

After four seasons with the Bruins, Rice finished her senior campaign averaging 14.9 points on a 48.9% clip from the field to go along with 5.9 rebounds per game, all of which were career-high marks.

The Third Team All-American will have an opportunity to be a key player in the expansion team’s inaugural season.

Rice will join guards Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes, the only players on the roster who averaged double-digit points last season. Mabrey, despite averaging 14.4 points per game last campaign, can be inconsistent. Her longest streak of double-digit games was just five last season.

The former Bruin is a beneficial addition to the roster because of her consistency. In Rice’s most recent season, she only scored single digits in three games. But she is also able to impact the squad in more ways than just her scoring.

Rice was viewed as more of a true point guard in her first three seasons at UCLA, so her court vision is very strong. She was eighth in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio and was second on the team in steals, recording 57 throughout the season.

Her consistency, IQ and fluidity could allow her to be a cornerstone player in the opening season for the Tempo, who are looking to be only the second team in WNBA history to reach the playoffs in their inaugural season after the Valkyries achieved that feat last season.

Angela Dugalić, Washington Mystics

Graduate forward Angela Dugalić is joining Betts on the Washington Mystics as the ninth overall selection.

After starting in 34 out of 35 games in the 2024-25 season, Dugalić decided to stay with the Bruins despite the probability that she would be demoted from her starting role. Dugalić then captured the Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year award, averaging nine points and 5.6 rebounds per game on 23.7 minutes per contest as a necessary spark for UCLA off the bench.

The Mystics have a training camp roster loaded with front-court talent, so Dugalić will have to distinguish herself to secure a roster spot.

The 6-foot-4 forward is able to set herself apart from the rest with her shooting, recording a 50.2% clip from the field and a 32.6% mark from deep last season. Her confidence to knock down shots from outside, combined with her size, makes her a valuable player.

One thing she will have to work on during training camp is limiting her fouls. She led the Bruins in personal fouls, which is not ideal, especially because she came off the bench.

But the Mystics drafting Dugalić ninth overall when the squad also had the 11th and 19th picks shows that head coach Sydney Johnson has faith in Dugalić’s ability to bolster the squad. Her history with Betts and Onyenwere can also help her secure one of the final 12 roster spots.

Gianna Kneepkens, Connecticut Sun

Graduate guard Gianna Kneepkens was selected 15th overall by the Connecticut Sun, making her the record-breaking fifth UCLA player to be drafted in the first round.

Kneepkens joined UCLA after four years at Utah, coming in as one of the top shooters in the country. In the Bruins’ National Championship season, she averaged 12.8 points on 49.3% shooting from the field and a 42.9% clip from behind the arc.

The former Cheryl Miller Award Top 10 Candidate is joining a Connecticut team that has a new look, returning only five players from the prior season. The squad also lost its two leading scorers but did return guard Leila Lacan, who averaged 10.4 points last season.

Aside from Lacan, though, no one on the team averaged double digits, giving Kneepkens an opening. She has also shown her ability to produce in a starring role, as she averaged 19.3 points per game in her last season with the Utes.

Kneepkens’ ability to knock down shots from behind the arc at such a consistent rate makes her a valuable asset for a rebuilding team. But she will have to show more than just her shooting, as the Sun signed former UCLA player Kennedy Burke, who boasted the sixth-highest 3-point percentage in the league last season.

Because teams can only secure 12 roster spots, they may not be interested in signing two similar players unless they are both able to showcase versatility. If Kneepkens shows that she is not just a shooter, she could prove to be valuable for the team.

Charlisse Leger-Walker, Connecticut Sun

Graduate guard Charlisse Leger-Walker was selected 18th overall by the Connecticut Sun, helping the Bruins become the first team to have six players drafted in a year. She also made history as the first woman from New Zealand to get drafted.

Leger-Walker played her first season for UCLA this year after transferring from Washington State and medically redshirting last year to recover from an ACL tear. She took over point guard duties for the squad and averaged 8.4 points, four rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.

She will likely be playing as a true point guard, which means she will have to work harder to make the Sun. At the professional level, many of the guards are expected to bring the ball up and run point guard duties, eliminating the need for multiple true point guards on a team.

But the former Bruin has experience stepping up as more than just a distributing guard. Leger-Walker averaged 16.6 points per game across her four seasons at Washington State, which flashed her scoring ability. The Sun’s training camp roster consists of three additional players that play the point guard role, so Leger-Walker will likely have to beat out at least one of them to secure her spot on the team.

If Leger-Walker combines her shooting efficiency and facilitating from her most recent season with her scoring from her time at Washington State, she will put herself in a good position to make the roster.