Even without their starting point guard, the No. 10 UCLA Bruins cruised to a 76-44 win over the Arizona Wildcats on Thursday with the defending national champions moving to 3-0 in the 2026-2027 season.

After grinding through the first half, UCLA broke away after halftime to stay perfect on the season. It wasn’t an utter blowout that became a regular occurrence the past couple seasons but the new-look Bruins still managed to pick up a 32-point win over Arizona.

UCLA was down a starter versus Arizona

UCLA was without Elina Aarnisalo, who’s missing this week’s action as she represents her country, playing for the Finnish National Team. Aarnisalo returned for a second stint with the Bruins this season after a season away with North Carolina. Aarnisalo returned as UCLA’s new starting point guard, with freshman Somto Okafor taking her spot in the starting lineup on Thursday.

Timea Gardiner's return to form

Speaking of the 2024-2025 UCLA team, Timea Gardiner is back and is looking better than ever. Gardiner played her role to a tee on Thursday, scoring 16 points, rebounds, going 2-5 from three and even blocking a shot. Gardiner’s career-high in scoring was 11.6 in 2023-2024 but she’ll have a chance to surpass that total this season with the Bruins.

Addy Brown stars off the bench

Addy Brown had her best game as a Bruin, scoring 16 points off the bench, including three made threes. Brown had an all-around game, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out four assists. If Brown can become an offensive hub off the bench for the Bruins, it'll add a much-needed extra element to the UCLA offense.

UCLA's defense sunk their claws in

UCLA’s defense stood out, with a physical defense likely being the team’s path to serious contention this season. The Bruins held Arizona to 24% shooting from the field and forced 16 turnovers while blocking six shots.

What's next

The Bruins return to action on Sunday against Princeton where UCLA will have a chance at a 4-0 start to their season. Aarnisalo will miss Sunday’s game but Cori Close’s team should still have plenty of talent on-deck to remain unbeaten in the new season.