UCLA's Charlisse Leger-Walker Emerges as Key Contributor

The New Zealand native has made an immediate impact for the Bruins after transferring from Washington State.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Charlisse Leger-Walker, a graduate student transfer from Washington State, has become a vital part of UCLA's women's basketball team this season. Despite missing the end of her senior year at WSU with a torn ACL, Leger-Walker has excelled for the Bruins, providing leadership, playmaking, and scoring to help the team to an undefeated Big Ten record and a likely No. 1 regional seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Why it matters

Leger-Walker's story is one of perseverance and her ability to quickly integrate herself into a new team and program. Her contributions go beyond the stat sheet, as she has emerged as a 'connector' who helps make her teammates better both on and off the court.

The details

Leger-Walker, the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament Player of the Year at Washington State, transferred to UCLA for her extra COVID-19 season. After redshirting last year to continue rehabbing her knee injury, she has played in all 29 games this season, averaging 9.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. Her shooting percentages have also been impressive at 46.5% from the field and 36.6% from 3-point range.

  • Leger-Walker suffered a torn ACL in a game against UCLA in January 2024, causing her to miss the final 11 games of her senior season at Washington State.
  • Leger-Walker transferred to UCLA for the 2024-25 season, her extra COVID-19 year of eligibility.
  • Leger-Walker redshirted the 2024-25 season to continue rehabbing her knee injury.
  • Leger-Walker has played in all 29 games for UCLA this season (2025-26).

The players

Charlisse Leger-Walker

A graduate student transfer from Washington State University, where she was the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament Player of the Year. She has become a key contributor for the UCLA women's basketball team this season.

Cori Close

The head coach of the UCLA women's basketball team, who actively recruited Leger-Walker to join the Bruins after she entered the transfer portal.

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What they’re saying

“When she went into the portal, I could not call quick enough. I knew that she would bring to us what I saw her do at Washington State. She has exceeded my expectations. And it has just been an absolute joy, not just to coach her, but to be a part of her life.”

— Cori Close, Head Coach, UCLA Women's Basketball (ocregister.com)

“What she has done to make everybody around her better (is) to be a connector, not only on the court of knowing who needs to get touches or who needs a different rotation or a help side (defensively); she's talking constantly. But also off the court. She keeps us, our team, really tight.”

— Cori Close, Head Coach, UCLA Women's Basketball (ocregister.com)

“I think sitting out last year and being able to be on the sideline and just observe a lot of things, it really allowed me to understand not only just our team dynamic and watching just the players out there, but also understanding from a coaching perspective, different reads that we're trying to look for, how we try and attack different things, and being on the side line and kind of being in people's ear all the time.”

— Charlisse Leger-Walker (ocregister.com)

What’s next

The Bruins will look to continue their strong season and secure a high seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

Charlisse Leger-Walker's journey from Washington State to UCLA has been marked by perseverance and her ability to quickly integrate herself as a key leader and contributor for the Bruins. Her well-rounded game and off-court connections have made her an invaluable asset for UCLA as they aim for postseason success.