UCLA Women's Basketball: Pac-12 Rival Guard Transferring To Bruins

Cori Close is adding a key piece through the portal.

Mar 30, 2024; Albany, NY, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close looks on from the sidelines. / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Senior guard Charlisse Leger-Walker has revealed that she will transfer from her NCAA hoops home of four season, Washington State University, to join her former Pac-12 nemesis, the UCLA Bruins, for her final season of collegiate eligibility in 2024-25, reports Michael Voepel of ESPN.

The 5'10" guard out of Waikato, New Zealand will join Cori Close's loaded Cardinal and Gold squad, who has finished with back-to-back Sweet Sixteen seasons and will be returning most of its core outside of now-Phoenix Mercury guard Charisma Osborne.

UCLA went 27-7 last year, largely thanks to the efforts of Osborne, point guard Kiki Rice and center Lauren Betts.

Leger-Walker's addition, essentially to replace Osborne, has been an absolute coup for Close. She was ranked as the fourth-best prospect in the NCAA transfer portal, per ESPN's most recent rankings.

A four-time Pac-12 honoree, she was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2021, and was named the Pac-12 Tourney MVP while en route to the championship in 2023. She incurred a knee injury against UCLA this past January.

In 105 total contests with the Cougars (all starts), she boasts career averages of 16.6 points on .382/.305/.797 shooting splits, 5.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.6 blocks a night.

More UCLA: Mick Cronin Nabs Elite Transfer Portal Player