Last Updated on March 16, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

The UCLA Bruins women’s basketball program has a deep history, from its 1978 national championship team to later stars who pushed the program back into the national picture. These are some of the biggest UCLA Bruins women’s basketball legends. (UCLA)

1. Ann Meyers-Drysdale

  • Years with UCLA: 1974–1978
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable Achievements:
    • First woman to receive a full athletic scholarship at UCLA
    • First four-time All-American in college basketball
    • Helped lead UCLA to the 1978 national championship
    • One of the foundational figures in women’s college basketball history
    • UCLA later named its practice court after her (UCLA)

2. Denise Curry

  • Years with UCLA: 1977–1981
  • Position: Forward
  • Notable Achievements:
    • Helped lead UCLA to the 1978 national championship
    • UCLA’s all-time leading scorer
    • UCLA’s all-time leading rebounder
    • Three-time All-American
    • One of only two UCLA women’s players with a retired number (UCLA)

3. Natalie Williams

  • Years with UCLA: 1990–1994
  • Position: Center-Forward
  • Notable Achievements:
    • Two-time basketball All-American at UCLA
    • Averaged 20.4 points and 12.8 rebounds for her career
    • Finished with the top career rebounding average in Pac-10 women’s history
    • One of the greatest multi-sport athletes in UCLA history
    • Also earned first-team All-American honors in volleyball (UCLA)

4. Jordin Canada

  • Years with UCLA: 2014–2018
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable Achievements:
    • UCLA’s all-time assists leader
    • Pac-12 all-time assists leader
    • Finished her career with 2,153 points
    • Three-time All-America selection
    • Helped lead UCLA to back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances and an Elite Eight run (UCLA)

5. Maylana Martin

  • Years with UCLA: 1996–2000
  • Position: Forward
  • Notable Achievements:
    • 1999 Pac-10 Player of the Year
    • First-team Kodak All-American in 1999
    • Three-time All-American
    • Led UCLA to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances
    • Helped power the Bruins to an Elite Eight finish in 1999, one of the best runs in program history (UCLA)

6. Noelle Quinn

  • Years with UCLA: 2003–2007
  • Position: Guard-Forward
  • Notable Achievements:
    • First UCLA basketball player, men’s or women’s, to reach 1,700 points, 700 rebounds, and 400 assists
    • Finished in UCLA’s Top 10 in 14 different statistical categories
    • Two-time honorable mention All-American
    • Three-time first-team All-Pac-10 selection
    • One of the most complete all-around players in school history (UCLA)

7. Monique Billings

  • Years with UCLA: 2014–2018
  • Position: Forward
  • Notable Achievements:
    • UCLA’s all-time leader in blocked shots
    • Second in school history in rebounds
    • Finished with 1,761 career points
    • Helped lead UCLA to the Elite Eight in 2018
    • One of the program’s best modern-era interior players (UCLA)

8. Nikki Blue

  • Years with UCLA: 2002–2006
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable Achievements:
    • One of the best guards of her era for UCLA
    • Reached the 1,000-point mark during her Bruins career
    • Helped anchor UCLA’s backcourt during multiple strong seasons
    • Remains one of the more recognizable guards in program history
    • Part of the group of notable UCLA women’s stars referenced in later program history materials (UCLA)

9. Charisma Osborne

  • Years with UCLA: 2019–2024
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable Achievements:
    • One of the standout faces of UCLA’s recent resurgence
    • Named a finalist for the 2024 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award
    • Helped keep UCLA nationally relevant in the modern era
    • Developed into one of the program’s most accomplished recent guards
    • Strong case as one of the top Bruins of the 2020s (UCLA)

These players helped shape UCLA women’s basketball across multiple eras, from the championship foundations of the 1970s and 1980s to the modern teams that pushed the Bruins back toward national prominence. (UCLA)

Sources:

UCLA Bruins — UCLA Women’s Basketball Honors 15 Greatest Players of All-Time
UCLA Bruins — 2025-26 UCLA Women’s Basketball Program History
UCLA Bruins — Ann Meyers-Drysdale to be Inducted Into Pac-12 Hall of Honor
UCLA Bruins — Practice Court Named After Ann Meyers Drysdale
UCLA Bruins — Denise Curry Hall of Fame Profile
UCLA Bruins — Natalie Williams Hall of Fame Profile
UCLA Bruins — Former Bruin Natalie Williams Nominated For WNBA All-Decade Team
UCLA Bruins — Jordin Canada Drafted by Seattle
UCLA Bruins — Jordin Canada Named All-American
UCLA Bruins — Canada Named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year
UCLA Bruins — Maylana Martin Douglas Named to UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame
UCLA Bruins — Martin Named to Kodak All-American Team
UCLA Bruins — Noelle Quinn Hall of Fame Profile
UCLA Bruins — Monique Billings Drafted by Atlanta
UCLA Bruins — UCLA Women’s Basketball Represented Across WNBA
UCLA Bruins — Osborne Named Ann Meyers Drysdale Top 5