LOS ANGELES – Ankles are taped and laces are knotted. The squeaks of shoes cut through clapping, counting and communication on the court inside the Mo Ostin Basketball Center.

UCLA Women’s Basketball finished its first full week of practice on the Ann Meyers Drysdale Court with the same mission as always: get better every day. Meyers’ name reminds a new squad of past success, but the five returners from the 2025-26 team don’t need to dive that far back in the history book to know what winning looks like.

“I’ve learned a lot about myself, a lot about building my confidence, and just the way we do things here,” said senior Amanda Muse when asked about the lessons she took from the 2026 graduating class. “How we work out every day, how we do all the extra things, and truly just carrying the torch forward and continuing the standard of excellence that they laid out for us.”

Muse, who fought through a scout team player’s foul for an and-one after an offensive rebound to earn an explosion of Bruin praise, is her teammates’ biggest cheerleader on the court. She’s quick to high five her fellow Bruins, and she stands near the baseline to call out when time is running down on the shot clock for drills.

“Our team chemistry is really great,” said Muse. “We’re great at connecting off the court, and that shows on the court. It’s been really fun to play together and build with each other so far.”

The senior center is a fierce competitor, too. She plays suffocating defense against Bonnie Deas, the sophomore transfer from Arkansas, in a guard-versus-post drill. Muse blocked Deas in their second meeting inside the arc, and she flexes towards her bigs after swatting the fadeaway. “Welcome to UCLA, come down here if you dare,” Muse communicates with the rep and celebration.

Posts win the drill, and freshman Somto Okafor cashes in a pair of free throws to redeem the guards – and save them from sprints.

Okafor, who is one of seven newcomers, captured her second-consecutive gold medal with Spain this summer at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket and is adjusting quickly to collegiate life. Her MVP from the international tournament is a nice trophy, but it means little heading into her first campaign with the Bruins. UCLA starts with a 0-0 record, regardless of the medals and trophies that anyone may have collected from tournaments past.

Okafor’s explosive athleticism impresses strength and conditioning coaches and teammates alike; her high basketball IQ, rebounding ability, and 3-point splashes help the young Bruin earn the respect of everyone inside the practice facility.

Another freshman – Slovenian guard Lina Jerković – is called upon after a 5-on-5 drill to shoot two from the charity stripe. The offense? The Blue & Gold only rebounded 44 percent of their missed shots. Associate head coach Tony Newnan tells the team that’ll make them top 10 or top 20 for the year, but the championship numbers require this team to track down 48 percent of their offensive misses to hit their goals.

Jerković goes 1-for-2.

“Guards, grab a ball!” Newnan exclaims. Twenty-two seconds later, all 12 Bruins have completed a full speed down-and-back by touching each baseline.

Senior Addy Brown stays after practice to get some individual work in with assistant coach James Clark. Brown joins the Bruins by way of Iowa State, where she spent three seasons as a Cyclone. She’s ready to look forward to the challenge ahead with the Bruins.

“I am a competitor at the end of the day,” Brown remarked about her decision to land in Westwood. “I really just want to win, and UCLA has shown that they win at the highest levels.”

The senior forward is looking towards her future in the pros, too, and UCLA is no stranger to preparing its student-athletes for their careers after graduation. The Bruins set two WNBA draft records in 2026, with the most players from one institution selected in the first round (5) and selected overall (6).

“Being able to get the next level, that’s always been a dream of mine,” Brown said. “No staff has a better player development team than UCLA. All the coaches are just super competitive, and they’re going to do whatever it takes to win. That’s what I want to be a part of.”

The Michael Price Family UCLA Women’s Head Basketball Coach Cori Close welcomed the UCLA marching band into the practice facility on the first day of official training, a tradition that connects the team to campus at the beginning of each year. “We are just committed to being the best versions of ourselves,” said Close to over 150 musicians and cheer team members who surrounded the court, “and we want to create more memories into March and April with all of you. The only way we do that is to chase edges, get better, and place our bricks in perfect place; that all starts today.”

With two weeks left until its first exhibition game, UCLA looks to keep building winning habits before the real fun begins. November 2^nd starts the journey anew, one with aspirations that come straight from the mountain top.