UCLA Makes History With 6 Players in WNBA Draft

Six UCLA women's basketball players are about to make history as the first collegiate program ever to have six teammates drafted in a single WNBA draft.

The Bruins' entire senior class is entering the 2026 WNBA draft, and all six are projected to go in the first two rounds. Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Gianna Kneepkens, Charlisse Leger-Walker, and Angela Dugalić just won the national championship together last week, and now they're preparing to become opponents.

"It's gonna be so weird when you and Kiki play against each other," Jaquez's cousin told her before the tournament. The comment caught her off guard. After playing together for years, the reality of competing against her closest teammates felt surreal.

But the seniors aren't dwelling on the bittersweet transition. They're celebrating what they built together at UCLA, and they know their bond will last beyond the draft.

The six players dominated in the Final Four, scoring all 130 of UCLA's points across two games. No team had ever had its seniors score all the points in a single Final Four game before this year. UCLA did it twice.

Center Lauren Betts, projected to go fourth overall, credits the entire program for preparing all six players for this moment. "Coach Cori, Coach T, everybody on the staff, they've done such a great job of pouring into every single body here," Betts said after winning national championship MVP.

Rice is projected at 12th, Kneepkens at 8th, and Jaquez at 11th in the first round. The three remaining seniors are expected to go in the second round.

Why This Inspires

UCLA head coach Cori Close built something special with this senior class. She emphasized teamwork over individual stardom, and it paid off with both a championship and unprecedented WNBA draft success.

The six players embraced selflessness and work ethic throughout the season. They celebrated each other's strengths instead of competing for the spotlight. That unity made them unstoppable on the court and attractive to professional scouts.

"We've now built a legacy," Jaquez said. "Our legacy will be our national title, the hard work we've put in from day one, the joy we have playing with each other, and the love we have for one another."

When these six teammates walk across the stage at the WNBA draft, they'll represent more than their own achievements. They'll show what's possible when talented athletes choose collaboration over individual glory, and they'll prove that lifting each other up leads to success for everyone.