UCLA nets five WNBA draft invites, plus two seniors make local appearance
Draft night invites were sent out Thursday by the WNBA ahead of next week’s event and five UCLA women’s basketball players are among the 15 players headed to New York City.
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UCLA center Lauren Betts, forward Angela Dugalić and guards Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez and Gianna Kneepkens will be in attendance next Monday, April 13, waiting to hear their name called up to the stage at The Shed at Hudson Yards by WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
There will be 15 first-round picks made, and the Bruins could potentially make draft history. Connecticut holds the record with four first-round picks in a single draft in 2002.
Betts, the Most Outstanding Player in the run to winning the national championship, is widely projected to be the first UCLA player taken off the board. The two-time All-American set the Bruins’ all-time shot blocking record in just three years. She was also named the Big Ten player and defensive player of the year, with the latter being her second consecutive honor.
Unlike the men’s side, which has months before the June NBA draft including a scouting combine process, women’s college basketball players turn into pros in the matter of weeks. In the case of the Bruins, the WNBA draft will be just eight days removed from the national championship victory over South Carolina.
Betts told Bruin Report Online before Wednesday’s title celebration that there’s been little time to process everything as she prepares for draft night.
“I’m just taking it day by day,” Betts said. “It’s crazy, it’s crazy.”
Additionally, Tennessee, Notre Dame and South Carolina all share the record for most draft picks, regardless of round, in a single draft with five selections. It was last done by South Carolina in 2023, and UCLA has a real chance to set a new record with guard Charlisse Leger-Walker also draft eligible.
It would not be a surprise to see Leger-Walker, even without a formal league invite, attend the draft with her fellow teammates. Draft picks beyond the first round have attended the event in the past, sat in the crowd and been allowed to go up on stage after hearing their name announced.
“Looking to see if I can make a team there and continue my pro career,” Leger-Walker said.
Overall, the draft features 45 picks over three rounds, and all six UCLA seniors have had a first-round projection in recent weeks from at least one major media outlet. There’s even a chance some of the Bruins’ first-round projections quickly land on the same team, as the Washington Mystics own three of the top 11 picks and the Seattle Storm has two first-round selections.
Perhaps no player in UCLA’s class is heading into the draft with greater buzz than Jaquez. Her 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists played a leading role in the victory over South Carolina last weekend.
It capped a string of seven consecutive basketball seasons and trips to Pauley Pavilion for the Jaquez family, starting with older brother Jaime Jr.’s games for the men’s team and one season that overlapped between the siblings in 2022-23.
“The fact that I got to end the whole Jaquez family legacy at UCLA with a national championship, I mean, you can’t even write a better story than that,” Jaquez said.
“I’ve definitely been starting to think about the draft. A lot’s going on, but I think it’s going to be a lot of fun being there in New York, and not only be there but me and my teammates. I think that is what I’m super excited about. I get to hang out with my friends in New York and we can all get drafted together.
“Any team that gets any of us are gonna be super lucky because not only are everyone great players, but also great people and great teammates. So whatever happens, happens, and I’m going to be proud no matter what.”
The WNBA’s 30th season season begins May 8.
The UCLA WNBA draft invites on social media
Here’s how the league shared the announcement:
Betts, Rice make local appearance
That was not the only news Betts and Rice made Thursday morning
The duo worked a celebratory shift together at the Sunset & Highland location of fast-food chain Raising Cane’s in Hollywood. They were seen working the register at the front counter and manning the drive-thru, in addition to addressing local reporters in a press conference at the event.
It was the latest in a media whirlwind tour for the seniors on the national championship team. The team was honored by both the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers, Rice appeared on CNN and ESPN and four of the players along with head coach Cori Close appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” among other appearances.
Raising Cane’s shared photos and video of the event with BRO:
