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UCLA Wire
Could UCLA target former Bruin Elina Aarnisalo in the portal?
- Story byUCLA Wire
- Could UCLA target former Bruin Elina Aarnisalo in the portal?
Could Cori Close be corralling a former face back to Westwood? A year after transferring away from the UCLA Bruins , guard Elina Aarnisalo is back in the portal after one year at North Carolina.
Aarnisalo played a role on the Bruins ' Final Four team from a year ago, putting up 5.1 points and 3.4 assists for UCLA. The Finland-born guard stepped into a starting role this year with UNC. Aarnisalo was up to 10.2 points this year with the Tar Heels, shooting 47% from the field and 40% from three.
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The transfer out of UCLA made sense last year. The Bruins were on a hunt for a national title this year , and with a healthy Charlisse Leger-Walker and the addition of Gianna Kneepkens, there wasn't going to be many minutes available for Aarnisalo.
Now there's a major need for UCLA. The Bruins senior core has graduated, leaving Christina Karamouzi as the only returning guard for UCLA. Close surely has plans for the transfer portal , and Aarnisalo might be a part of those plans.
Close raved about Aarnisalo after facing off against North Carolina earlier this season, and of course, Aarnisalo could join the Bruins with a baked-in understanding of the team's playbook and expectations.
UCLA will need to be very active in the portal to replace their departing senior class, and Aarnisalo would make sense to help lessen the loss of Leger-Walker and Kiki Rice at the point guard position.
If Aarnisalo lands elsewhere, she'll be joining her third school in three years.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Former UCLA guard Elina Aarnisalo is back in the transfer portal
