{"id":752577,"date":"2026-04-25T17:01:41","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T17:01:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/752577\/"},"modified":"2026-04-25T17:01:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T17:01:41","slug":"how-ucla-guards-have-shown-early-potential-for-connecticut-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/752577\/","title":{"rendered":"How UCLA guards have shown early potential for Connecticut Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"

From coast to coast, former UCLA guards\u00a0Gianna\u00a0Kneepkens\u00a0and Charlisse Leger-Walker<\/a> are beginning their professional journeys with the Connecticut Sun, and both are full of potential.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Kneepkens\u00a0and Leger-Walker are coming off a national championship\u00a0run\u00a0with UCLA. They only lost one game the entire season against Texas, but then got vengeance\u00a0with a win over the Longhorns in\u00a0the Final Four.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The two players know what it takes to win a title and what a championship culture looks like, something the Sun are trying to build\u00a0towards.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sun\u2019s the limit<\/p>\n

Ever since head coach Rachid Meziane stepped into his position with the\u00a0Sun in December 2024,\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0talked about\u00a0building a championship culture<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Entering the 2026 season, his plans\u00a0still remain\u00a0the same, even with the uncertainty around what the team will look like when it is\u00a0relocated\u00a0to Houston for the 2027 season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On draft night, when Sun general manager Morgan Tuck<\/a> spoke to the\u00a0media,\u00a0she emphasized that Meziane wants to have a flowing offense and that they were looking for players with a high IQ to help execute his vision.\u00a0Kneepkens\u00a0and Leger-Walker caught Tuck and Meziane\u2019s eyes with\u00a0how\u00a0they found ways to\u00a0impact a UCLA roster that had a lot of depth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tuck also said that they\u00a0aren\u2019t\u00a0just good\u00a0basketball players that fit into their system stylistically, but that who they are as people is also important to what they are trying to build for the\u00a0team\u2019s\u00a0future.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSo first of all, they have\u00a0potential,\u201d Meziane\u00a0told The IX Basketball\u00a0with a subtle laugh.\u00a0\u201cSo\u00a0I\u00a0think that\u00a0is\u00a0very important. \u2026 They\u2019re\u00a0coming from a big\u00a0program;\u00a0they already won a championship. And\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0also something we\u00a0want,\u00a0and we expect from them, is\u00a0to\u00a0bring their winning culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kneepkens spent four years at Utah before transferring to UCLA for her final year of eligibility. While at Utah, her ability to shoot led to an increase in points per game each year. She began her time in Utah scoring 11.8 points per game as a freshman and capped it off by averaging 19.3 points per game during the 2024-25 season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meziane praised her for her \u201cvery good shooting ability,\u201d which is something the Sun needed with the loss of guard Marina Mabrey<\/a> to the Toronto Tempo in this year\u2019s expansion draft. He also has a lot of\u00a0confidence that\u00a0Kneepkens\u00a0will be able to finish plays and fit well into the team\u2019s system.<\/p>\n

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\u201cBased on how we want\u00a0to play, we will have a lot of ball movement and some things to create, good opportunities to score,\u201d Meziane said. \u201cSo,\u00a0I want Gianna to be ready to finish our plays, and\u00a0defensively,\u00a0she\u2019s\u00a0smart,\u00a0so she can understand how to position herself\u00a0on the court. I mean, I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0want to\u00a0overcomplicate\u00a0her role.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the first week of training camp, Meziane gave recognition to\u00a0Leger-Walker for her basketball IQ and court vision as a point guard. He mentioned her ability to control the tempo of the game, knowing when to increase or decrease the speed, and how well she can read ball screens.<\/p>\n

Meziane wants defense to be a part of the team\u2019s identity, and Leger-Walker\u2019s ability to be physical and defend one-on-one is something that has caught the coaching staff\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cCharlisse,\u00a0she\u2019s\u00a0someone who can organize.\u00a0She\u2019s\u00a0already for me, a floor general,\u201d Meziane said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On draft night, Tuck gave a nod to Leger-Walker, as she is often overlooked as a player, especially defensively.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the pace that she\u00a0plays at\u00a0in her toughness on both sides of the ball, I think she\u2019s sort of an underrated defender,\u201d Tuck told reporters.\u00a0\u201cObviously, she can space the floor; she can get to the rim.\u00a0She\u2019s\u00a0a little crafty.\u00a0So\u00a0I think when you look at a point guard,\u00a0I think she\u00a0fits a lot of the things that we would want, and we think that she can bring a lot of value to.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

It is only the first week of training camp practices, so Meziane\u00a0hasn\u2019t\u00a0seen too much of the\u00a0rookies\u2019\u00a0skills\u00a0yet,\u00a0but he said he sees them \u201creally having an impact\u201d in the league, especially with their shooting capabilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"UCLAUCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close talks to guards Charlisse Leger-Walker (5) and Gianna Kneepkens (8) in a game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, Calif., on Jan. 21, 2026. (Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea | Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

College chemistry carrying over to the WNBA<\/p>\n

Kneepkens and Leger-Walker weren\u2019t\u00a0just teammates at UCLA but also roommates, allowing their bond to become even stronger.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s just a really cool person,\u201d\u00a0Kneepkens\u00a0told reporters of Leger-Walker.\u00a0\u201cShe just\u00a0really cares about her\u00a0people,\u00a0and\u00a0we just get along super well.\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0very similar, just like in our vibes, I guess, just\u00a0very\u00a0chill,\u00a0can do anything.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kneepkens\u00a0told reporters that it is somewhat \u201cweird\u201d not having Leger-Walker as a roommate in\u00a0Connecticut,\u00a0but that\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0stopping them from spending just as\u00a0much time together.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we\u00a0basically live\u00a0together, I mean,\u00a0she\u2019s\u00a0in my room every day,\u201d Leger-Walker said jokingly in response to being asked about no longer living with Kneepkens. \u201c\u2026 It\u2019s\u00a0not even different, because at home, we had different rooms, but here\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0kind of the\u00a0same,\u00a0we\u2019re just in a big hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two are on the same page, so much so that they collectively procrastinated packing up their Los Angeles apartment and had to do it all in one day. Kneepkens described this\u00a0as\u00a0her \u201cpunch me in the face moment\u201d and said it was \u201con her\u201d for\u00a0feeling that way since she waited to pack.<\/p>\n

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The friendship Leger-Walker and Kneepkens have built has created a foundation for their chemistry on the court, something that can\u2019t be taught and\u00a0will be helpful to this young\u00a0Sun\u00a0roster.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always about chemistry and connection,\u201d Meziane said. \u201cSo [the] more they have this connection, [the]\u00a0more\u00a0it will be easier for them to\u00a0impact\u00a0and to contribute to the team.\u00a0And I heard that they\u00a0were\u00a0roommates,\u00a0so\u00a0it means that they really have\u00a0this strong connection.\u00a0And you can see\u00a0on the court that a lot of things are very natural for them.\u00a0Charlisse\u00a0knows where\u00a0[and]\u00a0when\u00a0Gianna\u00a0is cutting to the rim. \u2026\u00a0For me,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0like we are just winning time when we have players who already have these connections.<\/p>\n

Last season, the Sun gained momentum coming out of the\u00a0WNBA All-Star\u00a0break,\u00a0and things finally started to click on the court, despite what their record showed. There was a clear difference in how they were playing, especially\u00a0after the addition of guard Leila Lacan<\/a>,\u00a0who\u00a0joined the team\u00a0roughly midway\u00a0through the season due to overseas obligations.<\/p>\n

The shift that the team felt was partially due to the chemistry that progressively developed between players. Leger-Walker and\u00a0Kneepkens\u00a0are\u00a0in sync and bring even more of that same type of energy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think just having automatic trust with each other makes it really easy,\u201d Kneepkens said. \u201cI mean, we can talk to each other about\u00a0anything,\u00a0basketball, not basketball. So,\u00a0I think just having someone like that is super helpful. And then obviously on the court, just knowing where each other\u00a0are, and being used to playing with each other, helps. But\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0also having fun just\u00a0learning\u00a0other players and getting to know where their spots are, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"<aGianna\u00a0Kneepkens\u00a0shooting\u00a0on the first day of Connecticut Sun training camp at Mohegan Sun Arena in\u00a0Uncasville,\u00a0Conn., on\u00a0April\u00a019, 2026. (Photo credit:\u00a0Chris Poss\u00a0| The IX Basketball)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Adjusting to Connecticut<\/p>\n

In addition to helping with on-court chemistry, the pair\u2019s friendship has also made their adjustment to Connecticut smoother.\u00a0Leger-Walker\u00a0has enjoyed having Kneepkens by her side through this transitional period.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0literally been\u00a0the best thing ever,\u201d Leger-Walker said\u00a0with a big smile. \u201cI don\u2019t know what I would have done without her here. The transition, knowing you have\u00a0a sister, roommate, all of the things, and someone who you can just talk to and rely on, and you kind of understand what each other is going through, it\u2019s\u00a0been\u00a0really nice, and\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0super grateful\u00a0that we have that opportunity to do that together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kneepkens added that going through the same experience as Leger-Walker, along with the other four fellow Bruins who were drafted this year, has been special, noting their support has made it a lot easier for her to navigate this new chapter.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, it\u2019s been awesome just because we\u2019re going through the exact same thing,\u201d Kneepkens said. \u201cIt\u2019s really nice. So, we hang out a lot, we talk through things a lot, and \u2026 it is very nice to have her here.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Rookie season goals<\/p>\n

As their professional careers in the WNBA\u00a0begin,\u00a0both will be met with the challenges of a faster, more physical style of basketball. Kneepkens\u00a0and Leger-Walker believe they are ready\u00a0to take on whatever adversity they face in their rookie seasons, something playing on one of the biggest stages \u2013 the Final Four \u2013 has prepared\u00a0them for.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u00a0actually think\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a bit more intense than I thought it would be, just from hearing about different training\u00a0camps and stuff,\u00a0but not super surprising,\u201d Leger-Walker said. \u201cAnd just\u00a0the basketball\u00a0concepts \u2026 a lot of that I\u2019ve kind of learned before, but probably just that the intensity and just coming in knowing, no one\u2019s really holding your hand, you got to make sure you\u2019re ready to go, because when you step on the court, you got to be 100%.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kneepkens\u00a0hasn\u2019t\u00a0been too surprised\u00a0by\u00a0the next level yet, but most of that confidence stems from the fact that she came from a strong college program.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0think it\u00a0surprised me, but I think you\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0fully know it until\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0in it,\u201d\u00a0Kneepkens\u00a0said. \u201cBut just the intensity, the physicality,\u00a0it is (challenging) because\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0playing against very experienced women, but\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0fun, and as a competitor,\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0the environment you\u00a0want to\u00a0be in.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

In just the first week of training camp,\u00a0she has already outlined her goals for the season and defined the role she wants to fill on the team.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI just want to be a great teammate that does anything the team needs,\u201d\u00a0she said. \u201cI want to help the team win, but\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0really my biggest focus, is just doing what it takes to help the team and just be super competitive.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite their lives changing so quickly, they\u00a0haven\u2019t\u00a0taken any of\u00a0it\u00a0for granted. Last Saturday, a day after arriving in Connecticut, they sat in Leger-Walker\u2019s hotel room together for hours processing everything they had experienced in the last month.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u00a0took a moment to reflect and also just be grateful for where we\u2019re at right now, and just refresh and kind of get re-excited to step into this next part of our journey, knowing that this is almost the beginning of a whole\u00a0other\u00a0thing coming,\u201d\u00a0Leger-Walker\u00a0said.<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From coast to coast, former UCLA guards\u00a0Gianna\u00a0Kneepkens\u00a0and Charlisse Leger-Walker are beginning their professional journeys with the Connecticut Sun,…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":752578,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[282924,2472,93429,309699,21827,62,8800,67,132,68,232],"class_list":{"0":"post-752577","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wnba","8":"tag-charlisse-leger-walker","9":"tag-connecticut-sun","10":"tag-gianna-kneepkens","11":"tag-morgan-tuck","12":"tag-rachid-meziane","13":"tag-sports","14":"tag-ucla-bruins","15":"tag-united-states","16":"tag-unitedstates","17":"tag-us","18":"tag-wnba"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116466423654691062","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/752577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=752577"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/752577\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/752578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=752577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=752577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=752577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}