After a statement win against the South Carolina Gamecocks, the UCLA Bruins are getting attention, and it's not just for their silverware. Following their dominant performances, analyst Rachel A. DeMita knew what some of the seniors’ futures might look like in the WNBA. And she had the names ready.

“They have 4, maybe 5 players on that team who could go in the first round”, said DeMita on her Courtside Club podcast recently. “Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Gianna Nipkins, and Gabrielle Jaquez… They are going to translate so well into the WNBA.”

Averaging 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists this season, Betts has already been a No.1 draft pick prospect. And now that she has won the MOP after the final game, there’s no doubt she’ll hit it big in the W.

But other than Betts, there’s Rice, who “could step into that backup point guard role for a team and start playing immediately.” Then there’s Gianna Kneepkens, who is a “knockdown, lights out three-point shooter.” And lastly, Jaquez, who has shown immense capacities in the final game.

All three of them averaged over 10 points per game in the last season and remained the top scorers for the Bruins. That's part of the reason why DeMita talked about the group potentially dominating the draft, too.

And while these players all have distinct qualities that they can bring to their new WNBA teams, DeMita knew the perfect comparison for them, collectively.

Rachel Demita Had a Specific Comparison Ready

These UCLA players already have all the requirements ticked off. They all have height advantage, high basketball IQ, and can pace the floor well. And looking at them, DeMita couldn’t have recalled a better name than Sonia Citron.

“It almost reminds me of a Sonia Citron pipeline”, she said. “When we saw Sonia Citron at Notre Dame, she wasn't necessarily the player who was breaking all the records or scoring the most points or even the number 1 option on her team.”

In 2025, Citron was the Washington Mystics’ 3rd overall pick. Her collegiate career wasn’t filled with countless records, but she wasn't alone. Her teammates had similar numbers with the likes of Olivia Miles and Hannah Hidalgo on the Fighting Irish squad alongside her.

And this is the type of transition DeMita believes the UCLA seniors will have, just fitting in effortlessly. Do you agree with her take?

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Written by

Deblina Roy

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar