The UCLA Bruins came into the 2025 NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed. The season didn’t end as they hoped as they were eliminated by UConn in blowout fashion in the Final Four. Following UCLA’s elimination, they lost several players to the transfer portal. But the Bruins got a major decision from a key player on Monday. Starting forward Angela Dugalic announced her decision to return to UCLA for the 2025-26 season.

Angela Dugalic had a sixth season of college basketball eligibility and made the decision to return to UCLA. Her decision gives the Bruins a key part of their starting lineup intact. Dugalic was the team’s starting power forward alongside Lauren Betts in the frontcourt.

She was able to play another season of college basketball since she still had a COVID year of eligibility as well as being a redshirt from her junior year when she missed the entire season with an ACL injury.

Dugalic returning to UCLA gives the Bruins four of their five starters back for the 2025-26 season. The fifth stater, Londynn Jones, opted to enter the transfer portal. But UCLA has Charlisse Leger-Walker returning who should slot in as the starting point guard and replace Jones. Leger-Walker missed all of last season while recovering from an ACL injury.

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With Dugalic in the lineup alongside Betts, the Bruins had one of the best defensive frontcourts in the Big Ten. She appeared in 35 games, including 34 starts, at a little over 21 minutes per game. She averaged 7.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals with splits of 42.7 percent shooting from the field, 34.8 percent shooting from the three-point line and 81.4 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

With multiple players in the transfer portal, the main objective for UCLA is trying to maintain their status as a national title contender. Outside of their starting lineup, the Bruins’ depth is going to be tested. They were among one of the deepest teams in the country this past season.

Timea Gardner, one of UCLA’s top reserves last year, will be back for the upcoming season. But after that the rotation is less certain. One player who is sure to be counted on for big minutes right away is incoming freshman Sienna Betts, the younger sister of Lauren Betts.