UCLA Women's Basketball: Bruins Preseason AP Poll Ranking Revealed

Where are the Bruins ranked?

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The AP Top 25 has ranked UCLA women's basketball fifth in their first poll ahead of the 2024-25 season. The Bruins have risen five spots in the preseason rankings and now are only behind South Carolina (No. 1), UConn (No. 2), USC (No. 3), and Texas (No. 4).

The Bruins come in ranked 𝗡𝗼. 𝟱 in the Associated Press preseason poll!#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/pw7lPHSzKw

— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) October 15, 2024

The Bruins are coming off back-to-back NCAA Sweet 16 appearances over the last two seasons, but are looking to advance past that point and make their first NCAA Elite Eight since 2018. The Bruins have never advanced to the NCAA Final Four or Finals.

UCLA finished the 2023-24 campaign 27-7 overall with a 13-5 record against Pac-12 conference opponents. They ranked third in the conference, only behind Stanford and USC. During the season, the Bruins ranked as high as No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll but finished the season ranked No. 10 in the nation.

The Bruins have since moved to the Big Ten, where they are the clear favorites in the conference alongside USC. The Bruins only rank behind USC in the Big Ten. Only four other Big Ten teams made the preseason poll — Ohio State (No. 14), Maryland (No. 18), Nebraska (No. 23), and Indiana (No. 25).

Since their disappointing exit to LSU in the NCAA Sweet 16, the Bruins have added several key transfers to boost the roster. UCLA has added Texas A&M transfer Janiah Barker, Oregon State transfer Timea Gardiner, and Washington State transfer Charlisse Leger-Walker. All three players averaged double-digit points per game last season, and Leger-Walker was named to the All-Pac-12 Team last season.

The Bruins have also retained most of their players for next season. Their most significant loss was Charisma Osborne leaving for the 2024 WNBA Draft, but the Bruins otherwise have retained their core.

UCLA remains led by Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice, who were the top two overall recruits in 2022. They have now added Barker, who was the No. 3 overall recruit in the 2022 class. Both Rice and Betts were selected to the All-Big-Ten preseason team.

The Bruins officially open up the 2024-25 season on Nov. 4, when they face No. 17 Louisville at the Adidas Arena in Paris, France.

More Bruins:

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