By Megan ArmstrongShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberPrefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.In early March, UCLA Bruins senior stars Lauren Betts, Charlisse Leger-Walker, and Gabriela Jaquez performed a dance routine during halftime of a men's basketball game at Pauley Pavilion.
The dance became a fixture throughout UCLA's dominant women's NCAA Tournament run, which ended with the most dominant performance of all: a 79-51 win over No. 1 South Carolina for the Bruins' first NCAA national championship in program history.
Now, the entire UCLA starting five — Betts, Jaquez, Leger-Walker, Gianna Kneepkens, and Kiki Rice — have a chance of going off the board in the first round of the 2026 WNBA Draft on Monday night.
Betts, who is expected to be the highest-drafted Bruin, and Jaquez had a message for their critics during the WNBA Draft media day.
..."People get annoyed by us, but we're gonna keep doing it," Jaquez said.
"We're gonna keep doing it," Betts said. "And also, secondly, we don't turn on the song! What would you do if your song comes on? You would dance. Exactly. And if you guys won stuff, you would not be complaining."
Jaquez led all scorers with 21 points in the national championship game against South Carolina, while Betts was named the Most Outstanding Player. The Bruins ended the season on a 31-game winning streak and finished with a 37-1 overall record.
ESPN's Michael Voepel published his latest mock draft on Wednesday, and Betts is projected to go to the Washington Mystics at No. 4 overall. Voepel projects Jaquez will join Betts in D.C. at No. 11 overall, giving them the opportunity to think up innumerable new dance routines as rookies.
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