While No. 1 Oklahoma is trying to become the first school to win three consecutive national titles since UCLA in 1988-90, the Bruins aspire to restore their own championship luster.

 While No. 1 Oklahoma is trying to become the first school to win three consecutive national titles since UCLA in 1988-90, the Bruins aspire to restore their own championship luster.

“We are respected, but I think at the same time, people have forgotten that UCLA is the most winning program in the history of this sport,” senior Maya Brady said. “There’s a reason for that and there’s a reason why so many great players keep coming here. … At the end of the day, the returners at least, I know we have a chip on our shoulder.”

With four transfers and seven freshmen, UCLA’s group of returners is smaller than in recent seasons, and there are large holes to fill. The Bruins lost first baseman Kinsley Washington, who drove in the national championship-winning run in 2019, and catcher/third baseman Delanie Wisz, who led the Bruins in batting average, RBIs and home runs last year.

The biggest vacancy is at shortstop, where Briana Perez patrolled for 162 consecutive games. The 2022 Pac-12 defensive player of the year and UCLA's leader in career runs scored sat out only four games of her five-year career. Even months after preseason workouts began, Brady was still struggling to imagine the program without Perez.