UCLA star Lauren Betts drops 2-word reaction as Gianna Kneepkens joins the Bruins squad from Utah

Former Utah guard Gianna Kneepkens is headed to UCLA, as the move was officially announced on Thursday, and it did not take long for Bruins center Lauren Betts to react to it.

The news quickly made waves online and was shared by Post Her Hoops on Instagram. Betts shared it and added her reaction.

“UH OHHHHHHHH,” Betts wrote.

UCLA reached unprecedented heights last season, setting a program record with 34 wins and making its first-ever NCAA Final Four appearance.

The momentum was strong, and expectations for the upcoming season remained sky-high, but an unexpected twist happened when six players from the 2024-25 roster, including the entire freshman class, entered the transfer portal.

However, Kneepkens, who is one of the most sought-after players in the portal, has realigned the team’s trajectory, and she is set to join forces with Betts, Kiki Rice and elite incoming freshman Sienna Betts — Lauren’s sister.

A three-time first-team all-conference selection, the 6-foot guard appeared in 104 games for Utah, making 96 starts and averaging 15.6 points per game. Her efficiency was particularly impressive, shooting 49.5%, including 43.2% from beyond the arc.

Kneepkens took her game to another level last season, notching a career-high 19.3 ppg, while also contributing 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, earning her first-team All-Big 12 honors and the Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.

Gianna Kneepkens snubbed South Carolina for UCLA

Gianna Kneepkens was a hot commodity the moment she entered the transfer portal, drawing interest from several top programs, including teams that made deep NCAA Tournament runs.

According to On3’s Talia Goodman on April 20, Kneepkens took visits to South Carolina, Oklahoma and Texas before ultimately choosing UCLA as her next destination.

The standout guard brings both talent and experience to the Bruins. She still has one year of eligibility remaining, having redshirted the 2023-24 season due to a foot injury.

Why did you not like this content?

Cancel
Submit

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback

About the author

” data-lazy=”https://keedag.sportskeeda.com/user-pic/5232063-1739267225-200.jpg?w=200″
alt=”Babatunde Kolawole” height=”72″ width=”72″>

Babatunde Kolawole is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over eight years of experience in the field with Canoncrested.com, Garbersports.com, LiveScore Bet Nigeria and Pulse Sports Nigeria.

Kolawole studied Agricultural Economics on the tertiary level but delved into sports writing after school. Over half a decade later, the experience garnered helped him land this role.

Historically, the Alabama Crimson Tide stands out as Kolawole’s favorite team as he was drawn to their rich history.

As for basketball, JuJu Watkins is Kolawole’s favorite current player due to how much diversity she has in her game, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gets the nod for past players because of how he dominated with UCLA.

Kolawole has appeared on several TV and Radio shows as a guest analyst, and in his spare time, likes to watch movies (a sucker for the Marvel Cinematic Universe) and listen to a lot of music. He also loves to travel.

Know More

Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez