The 2015-16 Go Joe Bruin UCLA Women’s Basketball Season Preview

Dec 30, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins coach Cori Close (right) and guard Jordin Canada (3) against the Southern California Trojans at Galen Center. UCLA defeated USC 59-52. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Roster & Projected Line-up

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Projected Starting Line-Up

G Nirra Fields – G Jordin Canada – G Kari Korver

F Kacy Swain – F Monique Billings

Remember this name… Jordin Canada. As freshman, Canada was the second highest scorer on the Bruins last year with 11.8 ppg, but she also stepped up as the team’s main distributor with 4.4 apg. Impressive, but her pièce de résistance was the final game of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT).

Canada had grinded and slashed her way to a career-high 31 points as she led the Bruins to a 62-60 WNIT Championship victory.

The Bruins have a star in the making in Canada but also have the leadership of senior guard Nirra Fields who is the returning leader in points (15.0), rebounds (5.4), steals (2.3) and minutes (31.4). There were eleven games in which she scored 20 or more points, and added four double-doubles to her resume. She also posted a momentous game in the WNIT when she scored a season-high 26 points with 11 rebounds against CSU Bakersfield as the Bruins won 70-54 in the WNIT first round.

UCLA also has Kari Korver helping out on the wing. Korver, Fields and Canada were the top three scorers on the team and should see a lot of starts together. Korver averaged 10.1 ppg and was the Bruin’s biggest deep threat. Korver hit a team-high 74 three-pointers on the season and finished 41.3% from downtown.

Both Canada and Fields received All-Pac-12 post-season accolades along with Monique Billings. Canada was named Freshman of the Year, Fields was Second Team All-Pac-12 and Billings was an honorable mention for the All-Freshman team. Billings will be expected to help down low as the Bruins lost F/C Corrine Costa and C Luiana Livulo to graduation.

But the Bruins are not thin on experience. Senior Kacy Swain will be expected to play a big part in helping out the front court. She averaged only 4.2 ppg, but was a bigger factor on the boards with 4.5 rpg. She will help out underneath with Billings, Lajahna Drummer and Swedish import Paulina Hersler. The inexperience maybe an issue early on though the Bruins have showed that when given time, they can make a big impact.

The Bruins also have some depth in the front court as Dominique Williams, Kelli Hayes and Chrissy Baird will give good minutes off the bench.

The Bruins will also have immediate help from two national Top 40 players, freshmen G Kennedy Burke and  F Ashley Hearn, who should be able to make an impact early.

Though this will affect next year more than this season, the UCLA Women’s Basketball team obtained the services of Oklahoma transfer Nicole Kornet, but per NCAA rules, will have to sit out the 2015-16 season.

Next: Coaches and Staff