Champions set the tone before the season starts.

And the reigning National Champions will be able to display their revamped tone in front of local students Monday.

No. 11 UCLA women’s basketball is set to open the season against Lehigh at Pauley Pavilion on the squad’s Field Trip day, where local schools come to watch and support. With a big lineup switch from last year’s squad, coach Cori Close will be able to show the Bruins’ new look.

“We have seven new players,” Close said. “The five that we have coming back haven’t been in these same roles. You might as well say this is a brand new team that we’re molding together. The balance is going, ‘Hey, the standard is the standard. I expect you to grow and meet it,’ and the freedom for them to build their own house in their own way.”

The 2026-27 roster consists of five transfers, five returners – one of whom, sophomore guard Lena Bilić, is unable to play due to an ACL tear – and two freshmen. This is a switch-up from the past two seasons, where the team returned its leading scorer and rebounder alongside other crucial players.

One of the Bruins’ transfers is not representing the blue and gold for the first time, though. Junior guard Elina Aarnisalo transferred back to UCLA last summer, where she played her freshman season, after playing her sophomore year with North Carolina. The Helsinki, Finland, local led UCLA in scoring through its exhibition games this preseason, recording 20 points against California and 13 against Texas.

Another player with high expectations is sophomore forward Sienna Betts, who was named to the preseason watchlists for both the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year and the Naismith College Player of the Year awards.

Betts averaged six points and four rebounds per game for the Bruins in the 2025-26 season and averaged 14 minutes per game last season, the most among all returners. And with the departure of the six players who averaged 23-plus minutes per game for the WNBA, Betts will have to step into a bigger role.

The Centennial, Colorado, local recorded a double-double in the Bruins’ preseason victory over the Golden Bears, scoring 11 points on 5-for-12 shooting and grabbing 12 boards. Although she was held to just eight points and five rebounds in the exhibition loss to Texas, a combined seven blocks through the two games showcased her defensive ability.

“She (Close) obviously knows I’m stepping into a bigger role this year, and I love that,” Betts said. “She knows I really want it, and she wants it for me. And I really, really appreciate that. I love being able to know that.”

UCLA is facing off against a Lehigh squad that captured 17 victories last season and is returning four of its double-digit scorers from the 2025-26 year. Guard/forward Leia Edwards, who averaged 13.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game – marks that stood second and first on the team, respectively – is expected to lead the Mountain Hawks.

But with a Bruin squad that boasts players looking to earn their spot on the court, success depends on the ability to play together. Sophomore guard Bonnie Deas, who transferred from Arkansas, said UCLA has that skill.

“I think we’re meshing really well,” Deas said. “We’re a great group on and off the court – all love each other so much, and I think the exhibition games have taught us a lot so far. Like our D trans (defensive transition) and just knowing the scout front and back, and not doing little errors that you know lead to big ones.”

Coming off a season with just one loss means the standards and expectations on the team are high.

And with an opportunity to open the season on a high note coming up, Close is looking at the game as an opportunity to improve and see what her squad can do.

“We don’t see it as a target on our back,” Close said. “Having a target on your back means that you’re worried about what someone else is going to do, and that’s outcome-based thinking. We have to be obsessed with our process, obsessed with our standards, trying to get better every single day. And we literally work on that mindset.”