| No. 5–UCLA Bruins | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Guard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Big Ten Conference | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 15 September 2001 Hamilton, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High school | St. Peter's Cambridge (Cambridge, New Zealand) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Charlisse Trinity Leger-Walker (born 15 September 2001) is a New Zealand college basketball player for the UCLA Bruins of the Big Ten Conference. She previously played for the Washington State Cougars.
As a freshman at Washington State, Leger-Walker averaged 18.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. She was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and made the all-conference team. [1] In her sophomore season, Leger-Walker repeated as an All-Pac-12 selection, averaging 16.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. [2] On 11 December 2022, she scored a career-high 40 points in an 82–66 loss to Washington. [3] Leger-Walker led No. 7 seed Washington State to the 2023 Pac-12 tournament title, the first in program history, and was named most outstanding player. [4] She finished her junior season averaging 17.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game, and earned All-Pac-12 honors. [5] On 23 November 2023, Leger-Walker became the second Washington State player to record a triple-double, with 11 points, 15 rebounds, and 13 assists in an 87–67 win over Maryland. [6] She missed the last 11 games of the season with a torn ACL. As a senior, she was named All-Pac-12 for a fourth time and averaged 13.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. [7]
Leger-Walker transferred to UCLA for her fifth season of eligibility, granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [8] On December 6, 2024, UCLA announced that Leger-Walker would redshirt the 2024–25 season to fully rehabilitate her ACL injury. [9]
Leger-Walker made her debut for the New Zealand women's national basketball team at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. At age 16, she became the youngest player to play for the senior national team. She averaged 11.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, helping New Zealand win the bronze medal. [10] Leger-Walker won a silver medal at the 2019 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup, the first medal by a New Zealand women's team at a FIBA world tournament, and was named to the all-tournament team. [11]
Leger-Walker is of Samoan and Maori descent. [12] Her mother Leanne Walker, played for the New Zealand women's national basketball team; she competed in the Summer Olympics in 2000 and 2004. Leger-Walker's older sister, Krystal, played basketball for Northern Colorado and was her teammate at Washington State before turning professional. [13]
Elvin Ernest Hayes, nicknamed "The Big E", is an American former professional basketball player and radio analyst for his alma mater Houston Cougars. He is a member of the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams, and an inductee in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Known for both his offensive and defensive prowess, Hayes is often regarded as one of the best power forwards in NBA history. Hayes is also known for his longevity, being seventh all-time in NBA minutes played, and missing only nine games during his 16-season career.
Noelle Quinn is an American basketball coach and former player who is currently the head coach for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Quinn played in the WNBA for Minnesota Lynx, Los Angeles Sparks, Washington Mystics, Phoenix Mercury, and the Storm. She won the WNBA Championship with the Storm in 2018. She also played for Botaş SK in the Turkish Women's Basketball League.
Anitra Necole "Nikki" Blue is an American former professional basketball player.
The UCLA Bruins women's basketball program was established in 1974. The current coach is Cori Close. The team was a member of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) until joining the NCAA in 1984. The UCLA Bruins women's basketball team won the AIAW National Championship in 1978, and a banner commemorating the championship hangs in Pauley Pavilion, the current home of the Bruins basketball teams. The 2014–15 team won the 2015 WNIT championship.
Aaron Shawn Holiday is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins, where he earned All-American recognition. He was selected by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2018 NBA draft with the 23rd overall pick.
Jordin Elizabeth Canada is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was selected by the Seattle Storm with the 5th overall pick in the 2018 WNBA draft. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Canada played collegiately with the UCLA Bruins. She is known for her playmaking, speed and crossover skills. In her rookie season with the Storm, she won her first WNBA championship as they swept the Washington Mystics. In 2020, after winning her second WNBA championship, she signed an endorsement deal with Air Jordan.
Robert Christopher Franks Jr. is an American professional basketball player for Ibaraki Robots of the B.League. He played college basketball for the Washington State Cougars.
Charles James Elleby is an American professional basketball player for MKE Ankaragücü of the Türkiye Basketbol Ligi (TBL). He played college basketball for the Washington State Cougars.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. is a Mexican-American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins of the Pac-12 Conference. Jaquez was named a consensus second-team All-American and voted the Pac-12 Player of the Year as a senior in 2023. He earned three All-Pac-12 selections, including first-team honors twice. Jaquez was also a two-time member of the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. He was selected by the Heat in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft with the 18th overall pick. He is nicknamed ”Juan Wick” for his Mexican heritage and perceived resemblance to John Wick.
Sean Christian Smith is an American professional basketball player for Ironi Kiryat Ata of the Ligat Winner Sal. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. He earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors as a junior in 2020, when he was also named the conference's most improved player. Undrafted out of college, Smith signed a two-way contract to play with the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and their development team, Motor City.
Natalie Chou is an American professional basketball player for the Southern Hoiho of the Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa. She is also contracted with the Perth Redbacks of the NBL1 West. Growing up in Texas, she was named a McDonald's All-American as a high school senior in 2016. Chou played two seasons of college basketball for the Baylor Lady Bears before transferring to the UCLA Bruins.
Lexie Lauren Hull is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal, with whom she was a three-time All-Pac-12 selection, won the national championship as a junior and received the Senior CLASS Award and Elite 90 Award in her senior season. Hull attended Central Valley High School in Spokane Valley, Washington, where she helped her team win two state titles and was rated a five-star recruit by ESPN.
Kira Carroll "Kiki" Rice is an American college basketball player for the UCLA Bruins of the Big Ten Conference. She played for Sidwell Friends School at the high school level, where she was one of the top recruits in her class and earned national player of the year honors as a senior.
Lauren Marie Betts is an American college basketball player for the UCLA Bruins of the Big Ten Conference. She played for Grandview High School in Aurora, Colorado, where she was ranked as the number one recruit in her class by ESPN. Betts started her college career at Stanford before transferring to UCLA after one season.
Bella Murekatete is a Rwandan professional basketball player for the Rwanda national team. She is believed to be the first Rwandan-born player in NCAA Division I women's basketball history. She was named the 2022 Pac-12 Conference co-Most Improved Player of the Year after averaging 10.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. She played college basketball for the Washington State Cougars.
The 2023 Pac-12 Conference women's basketball tournament, presented by New York Life, was a postseason tournament held from March 1–5, 2023, at Michelob Ultra Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada.
Charisma Osborne is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA. She was drafted by the Mercury in the 2024 WNBA draft. She played college basketball at UCLA.
Emily Bessoir is a German basketball player who played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins of the Pac-12 Conference. She represents Germany in international play.
Trisha Stafford-Odom is an American former professional basketball forward. She played college basketball for the California Golden Bears from 1988 to 1992 and was a two-time first-team All-Pac-10 Conference selection. She played professionally in the American Basketball League (ABL) from 1996 to 1998 for the San Jose Lasers and Long Beach Stingrays, and in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 2001 to 2002 for the Houston Comets and Miami Sol. As part of the United States women's national basketball team, she won bronze medals at the 1991 R. William Jones Cup and the 1993 Summer Universiade.
The 2024–25 Washington State Cougars women's basketball team represented Washington State University during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Cougars are led by seventh-year head coach Kamie Ethridge and they play their home games at Beasley Coliseum as affiliate members of the West Coast Conference.
