If at first UCLA coaches don’t sign a recruit, they try, try again.
Relying on years of relationships fostered through high school recruiting, the Bruins have navigated the fast-paced transfer portal to make a super team no one seems to talk about.
They started with the No. 1 recruiting class in the country that's now grown into experienced juniors. They added Lauren Betts (Stanford), Angela Dugalic (Oregon), Timea Gardiner (Oregon State) and Janiah Barker (Texas A&M), all former McDonald's All-Americans and five-star prospects. The result is the program's first NCAA Final Four appearance and a matchup against No. 2 Connecticut on Friday at 6:30 p.m. PDT at Amalie Arena.
Gardiner was one win away from this stage a year ago. She helped Oregon State to the Elite Eight before she entered the portal. Having played with Kiki Rice, Londynn Jones and Betts on the youth national team, Gardiner had experience with many UCLA players and a long relationship with head coach Cori Close from the high school recruiting process. She focused on the Bruins almost immediately.
“For me, coming out of the portal was going somewhere I knew I could develop as a pro and be at a place where I knew I would be supported not only on the court but off the court,” Gardiner said. “This [the Final Four] is a plus.”
Gardiner powered the Bruins to the best NCAA tournament result in program history with 17 points in UCLA’s regional final win over Louisiana State, nailing five of eight three-pointers to help overcome the absence of Betts, who missed all of the second quarter because of foul trouble.
Read more:How to watch UCLA vs. UConn in the Final Four and what to expect
Gardiner’s smooth three-point shot was the exact need coaches wanted to fill when they pursued her in the portal last spring. The 6-foot-3 forward’s addition along with Dugalic, another stretch four who transferred to UCLA from Oregon in 2021, gave the Bruins a surplus at the position. But the crowded roster didn’t deter Barker, a 6-foot-4 forward who starred at Texas A&M.
The fact that the Aggies’ second-leading scorer and Gardiner, who was the Pac-12 sixth player of the year in 2024, were willing to take smaller roles with their new team speaks to the culture UCLA coaches have created, guard Charlisse Leger-Walker said.
“When you come on your visits, ...
