When the Bruins’ dream season ended at the hands of the now-champs, the feeling was bittersweet. It did end..but what a ride. They went further than they ever had before, the first Final Four. And while the journey stopped short of the championship, they still took home some serious hardware. Remember Cori Close’s Coach of the Year and Lauren Betts’ Defensive Player of the Year? The best part was they were not losing any players due to eligibility and everyone was supposed to be back. More fire, more depth, more vengeance, right?

Well… that’s not happening.

Because much like USC, this LA squad is also dealing with something no one saw coming—a full-blown exodus. The bench is going to look very different next season. It all kicked off with Elina Aarnisalo, Kendall Dudley, Avary Cain, and Zania Socka-Nguemen hitting the transfer portal. The entire 2024 class. Aarnisalo was the most active of the four, logging 779 minutes this season. But Dudley wasn’t far behind with 458. And speaking of Dudley, she was a five-star. The No. 18 recruit in the 2024 HoopGurlz rankings.

The 6’2” forward played in 37 games (started once) and averaged 1.9 points and 2.3 boards. Not massive numbers, but the upside is crazy high. Then there’s Avary Cain, another five-star talent, ranked No. 26. A 6’2” guard with smooth handles and great length—gone. She played just 18 games, averaging 1.5 points and 0.7 rebounds. But again, it’s what she could’ve become. And just when you think that’s a lot, the frontcourt took another hit with freshman Socka-Nguemen leaving.

Yes, she didn’t get a ton of time (82 minutes over 16 games), but she was a four-star recruit and No. 30 nationally. That kind of size and promise (she’s 6’3”!) walking away hurts depth.

Then just when you think it’s bad enough, Junior guard Janiah Barker and junior forward Londynn Jones also hopped into the portal. These two were proven contributors. Jones started 31 games this season. She’s been with the team for three years. Barker, a Texas A&M transfer, came off the bench with real impact—7.6 points and 5.9 rebounds a game, and not to forget, Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year.

Look, six players leaving a national contender is a lot, no matter how you spin it. But this transfer portal season has been wild for every program in some way or other. Cotie McMahon is leaving Ohio State for Ole Miss. Ta’Niya Latson, the nation’s leading scorer, is headed to South Carolina. So UCLA’s not alone in the chaos.

But still, for fans who just watched history being made with that Final Four run, this week’s news hit like a brick wall. The discussion online is loud.

Fans call out Cori Close as UCLA’s portal chaos sparks wild theories

One fan put it plain and simple: “Why are all these players leaving UCLA… after a Final Four run?” Like, seriously. In today’s college basketball world, the transfer portal is basically the new norm. But this ain’t your regular “bad season, time to dip” situation. The Bruins went 34-3, earned a Big Ten title, and were legit contenders all season long. 

So, when six players say peace out after that, well, fans can’t help but feel like there’s something deeper going on inside those locker room walls. Another chimed in pointing fingers straight at team dynamics: “UCLA had locker room issues and you will when you have a team full of 4-5 stars but run the offense through one player.” Lauren Betts was a walking bucket this season—20.2 points per game, dominant on both ends—but it was highly believed that the team’s game flows through her (and occasionally Kiki Rice). Favoritism whispers were flying all year. 

Another fan tried to stay hopeful, but even their optimism came with a big old question mark: “Getting to the Final Four, Sienna Betts coming in next year, going 34-3… what is going on?” And they’ve got a point. Despite this mass exodus, the Bruins do have a stacked setup for next season. Charlisse Leger-Walker is expected return after her ACL rehab. Add to that Sienna Betts (Lauren’s sister) and this team still has firepower. But that’s what makes the exits even more confusing. Who leaves a squad this loaded unless there’s something off behind the scenes?

Some fans didn’t hold back at all. One brutally put it: “Because they finally realize what everybody in the country already knew: Cori Close can’t coach & develop players. And they certainly aren’t going to become better basketball players under her coaching.” And this isn’t the first time Close has faced heat. For someone who’s had top-tier talent for years, critics have often questioned her ability to turn that into real postseason results. Sure, this season’s Final Four run was monumental, but it took over a decade (she took the reins as the head coach in 2011) under her leadership to get there.

That said, it’s also important to recognize that Close did win the Naismith Women’s Coach of the Year in 2025, so clearly, not everyone thinks she’s the problem. Then there were fans who shrugged the whole thing off: “There is no rhyme or reason… kids are simply transferring because they can.” And they’re not wrong either. This is the wild west of NIL and open transfers. Since the portal opened on March 24, over 1,200 players have entered. Some of them stars. Some of them are role players. 

So maybe, just maybe, this isn’t about UCLA or Cori Close or any locker room beef. Maybe it’s just how the game works now. So, whether it’s a coaching issue or just the new college sports reality, Bruins fans aren’t going to forget this mass goodbye anytime soon. But if UCLA’s reloaded squad manages to pull off another deep run, all this might just fade into the background. Winning, after all, fixes everything.