The UCLA Bruins are back in the Final Four, which gives the team the opportunity to write a brand new ending for themselves after their 2025 tournament run. There is a lot for the team to celebrate, including the collegiate careers of six graduating seniors who have spent years playing together on the same team.
In a time when NIL deals and the transfer portal make it easier for players to essentially shop around, it's pretty special to have a roster of athletes who have spent time honing their chemistry and really learning one another. But, unfortunately for the Bruins, that also means that when it's time for those seniors to graduate, the team will find itself rebuilding.
The transfer portal may not offer the best solution
While it's tempting to shrug and say the transfer portal can help solve the Bruins' impending problem, it's not exactly that easy. Sure, the team can pull a lot of excellent junior and senior players out of the portal ahead of the 2026-27 season, but that's not the same as nurturing a group from their freshman year all the way to graduation.
As a result, the Bruins of the future may not make it quite as far as the 2024-25 and 2025-26 teams did. Nothing is set in stone, but the best teams in college basketball are still mostly built by coaches and assistant coaches who are talented recruiters, and who bring in players out of high school or from overseas. The transfer portal is great for completing mostly constructed teams, but UCLA's dilemma will be a true test of the portal's ability — and a team's ability — to create a contending team from scratch.
For now, that's not really at top of mind for anyone affiliated with UCLA, nor should it be. The team is preparing to play against the Texas Longhorns in the Final Four, a match that should prove to be a fun and dynamic one for fans. While much of the women's March Madness tournament proceeded as expected, the coming weekend in Phoenix provides the last opportunities for surprises this season.
UCLA may see a few players drafted
Once the tournament ends, all eyes will turn to the WNBA. The league will host the expansion drafts for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire on April 3, the same day the first games of the Final Four are held. The WNBA Draft will take place on April 13, and both Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice could end up as first round picks this year.