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Grading UCLA's Starting Five vs Oregon
Dec 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) drives past Oregon Ducks forward Ehis Etute (35) for a basket during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

UCLA would beat Oregon 80-59, continuing to send a clear message that the Texas game was just a fluke.

Getting to the final score wasn’t pretty by any standard. Three of the Bruins’ starters finished under 10 points, and the team posted its lowest shooting performance since the loss to Texas. Still, there were positives — UCLA dominated the glass with 52 total rebounds, a major step forward in an area that has hurt them in the past.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Not the best game for Kiki Rice, a player who, at this point, had not scored under ten points this season. She also had her second-lowest shooting percentage in this game 28.6% shooting in this game.

She earns a "B-" because while the scoring was off for sure, she still found herself useful by grabbing five boards as well as assisting some of the other Bruins on this list seven times. Not a bad game, but moving forward, we expect more.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Outside of her lousy shooting performance, Charlisse Leger-Walker still had a very solid game. We would like to see more scoring from her, but we will take 10 rebounds any day, as well as her eight assists.

She earns a B, because anything higher or lower would not be fair. While the shooting was rough in this one, like Rice, she made a massive impact everywhere else on the court.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Gianna Kneepkens has proven herself as one of UCLA's biggest scoring threats this season. While we might ask her to get a few more rebounds, that would be too greedy. Kneepkens has really shown to be one of UCLA's better players, even in a roster that is so deep in talent.

She earns an "A-" because we know what she is capable of; anything higher would be too generous. As previously stated, it would be nice to see her expand some of the other aspects in her game.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

After two back-to-back 20-point performances from Gabriela Jaquez, we expected more. Shots were not falling in this one, something that was bound to happen, as in the last two, she was making around 60% of her shots.

She earns a "C" because, unlike Rice and Leger-Walker, she didn't have much impact outside of her scoring, which was low.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

This is the Lauren Betts everyone expected to see. She was absolutely unstoppable — helped in part by Cori Close, who designed sets specifically to let her take over after a one-on-one film session leading into the game.

She earns an “A+” because this performance was outstanding from start to finish. Her 14 rebounds were exactly what the Bruins desperately needed, especially on a night when the offense struggled. Add in five blocks, and she once again showed just how dominant she can be defensively.

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Overall, the Bruins were just okay in this one. With the level of talent on this roster, you still expect a cleaner performance. Still, handing Oregon its first loss of the season is a solid step in the right direction.

This article first appeared on UCLA Bruins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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