UCLA strengthens roster in transfer portal with impact player
02/05/2024 04:54
The UCLA Bruins will make their move to the Big 10 for the 2024-25 season and without a few of their key players from last season. Charisma Osborne is off to the WNBA while Cameron Brown is out of eligibility and Christeen Iwuala transferred to Ole Miss. But reinforcements are on their way. UCLA added their second impact player from the transfer portal this week with the addition of former Oregon State wing Timea Gardiner, she announced via social media.
Timea Gardiner joins the UCLA Bruins following two seasons at Oregon State. This past year though as a sophomore was her best season yet as the Beavers reached the Elite Eight.
Gardiner was a force for the Beavers for the second unit, but that also included nine starts, at a little over 26 minutes of play. She averaged a college career best 11.6 points per game, 7.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists with splits of 44.5 percent shooting from the field, 39.5 percent shooting from the three point line and 88.5 percent shooting from the free throw line.
Gardiner won the final Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year Award and will likely resume her role off the bench as a Bruin. UCLA had a strong roster last season that many felt was a national title contender, but they were eliminated in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
UCLA reloads roster amid move to Big 10
Timea Gardiner isn't the only new addition for UCLA's roster via the transfer portal. The Bruins made headlines just a few days ago with the addition of former Washington State star Charlisse Leger-Walker.
Leger-Walker was limited to only 21 games this past year after suffering a season-ending knee injury during conference play. Prior to that she was one of the best players in the Pac-12 and a legitimate WNBA prospect. She will likely take Charisma Osborne's place in the starting lineup.
Before the injury, Leger-Walker had been averaging 13.2 points per game, 6.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.7 steals. Leger-Walker helped lead Washington State to the Pac-12 Tournament title, upsetting UCLA in the championship game and being named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
The Bruins also have a very strong incoming recruiting class. UCLA is set to add four freshmen for the 2024-25 season with several highly touted recruits in Kendall Dudley, Avary Cain, Zania Socka and Elina Aarnisalo. Following Christeen Iwuala's departure, the Bruins still have four members of their top recruiting class of 2022 in Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Lina Sontag and Londynn Jones.
The Bruins roster will also feature top junior center Lauren Betts. Betts transferred to UCLA last season after her freshman year at Stanford. Betts was arguably the top impact transfer of the 2023-24 season as she had a phenomenal year providing the Bruins with the low post presence they lacked.
Betts dealt with injury and health issues at times last year but she did play in 29 games at a little over 27 minutes of play. She averaged 14.9 points per game, 9.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 2.0 blocked shots with splits of 64.3 percent shooting from the field and 61 percent shooting from the free throw line.
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