UCLA Breaks WNBA Draft Record with 5 First-Round Picks

The UCLA women's basketball team turned their national championship season into something even more special on Monday night, setting a WNBA draft record that may never be broken.

Five Bruins heard their names called in the first round alone, with six players drafted overall. No college program has ever sent that many players into the first round of a WNBA draft in a single year.

Lauren Betts started the celebration when Washington selected her fourth overall. The dominant center had just won Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors while averaging 17.1 points and 8.8 rebounds during UCLA's championship run.

"I play with joy," Betts said after getting drafted. "This season has been so joyful."

The picks kept coming. Gabriela Jaquez went fifth to Chicago, then Kiki Rice went sixth to the expansion Toronto Tempo. After a brief pause, Angela Dugalic joined Betts in Washington at number nine, and Gianna Kneepkens made history at pick 15 by setting the new first-round record.

Rice captured the emotion of the moment perfectly. "This is so special," she said. "Every one of us here deserves it so much."

Jaquez spent all four years at UCLA and became one of the most improved players in the country. She shot nearly 54% from the field and 39% from three-point range this season while averaging 13.5 points and 5.5 rebounds.

Rice brought complete game skills to the draft, averaging 14.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while earning AP third-team All-American honors. "I take a ton of pride in being the best teammate and figuring out how to make everyone better around me," she told ESPN.

The Ripple Effect

This moment represents more than individual success stories. These players proved that team chemistry and winning culture can launch everyone higher than going it alone.

Dugalic embraced a bench role as the sixth player after starting the previous two seasons, putting the team first. Kneepkens transferred to UCLA for just one season and found herself part of something historic. The Big Ten sixth player of the year shot an impressive 42.9% from three-point range and became the pick that broke the record.

The celebration continued into the second round when Charlisse Leger-Walker became the sixth Bruin drafted. Multiple teammates will now face each other in the WNBA, carrying forward the competitive spirit that helped them win a championship.

This draft class shows what happens when talented players come together with a common goal. They celebrated each selection like it was their own because in many ways, it was.