As UCLA Athletics takes a break for the summer, professional sports are still in full swing, with many Bruins representing. Each week during the summer, Daily Bruin Sports will look at the standout performances of UCLA alumni, current athletes and future stars as we count down the days until fall.
Men’s basketball: Adem Bona, Philadelphia 76ers; Kobe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks; Amari Bailey, Jaylen Clark, Minnesota Timberwolves; Jules Bernard, Golden State Warriors; Moses Brown, Houston Rockets; Lazar Stefanović, Orlando Magic
(Daily Bruin file photo)
Former Bruin guard Amari Bailey dribbles the ball toward the hoop along the baseline. (Daily Bruin file photo)
Pauley Pavilion. 11 national championships. John Wooden’s pyramid of success.
UCLA men’s basketball has long been synonymous with success, forever cementing its collegiate basketball fame.
But now, seven Bruins are trying to make a name for themselves at the next level.
In the 2025 NBA Summer League – an off-season tournament where teams try out different summer rosters that include freshmen, sophomores and NBA G League affiliate players – UCLA was well-represented by its alumni.
Five of the seven players averaged eight-plus points per contest and played 15-plus minutes per game. Headlining the pack is former Bruin forward/center and current Philadelphia 76er Adem Bona. The 2024 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year averaged 8.6 points per game and played 24.6 minutes per affair. He continued to showcase his interior dominance, converting 61.3% of his shots from the field while grabbing six rebounds and blocking 2.6 shots per game.
Bona will continue to be a significant asset on a Philadelphia squad that will likely use him as a frontcourt depth option to complement former NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid.
Joining the efficient Bona was recent UCLA graduate Kobe Johnson. The Atlanta Hawks guard showcased his offensive versatility, averaging nine points per game, shooting 64.7% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. Johnson also grabbed 4.3 rebounds per game – consistent with his time as a Bruin, when he led the team in rebounds while also notching 1.6 steals per game.
Johnson will most likely play for the Hawks’ G League affiliate but could secure a two-way contract if he continues to develop a consistent jumper while displaying his defensive and rebounding prowess.
Amari Bailey led the Bruin bunch in scoring. The Minnesota Timberwolves guard averaged 10 points per game on a 53.1% clip from the field but struggled from deep, hitting just 25% of his 3-pointers. Bailey averaged just 18.8 minutes per game but flashed efficient playmaking in that time, adding 3.6 assists per contest as well.
Joining him on the Timberwolves is former Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Jaylen Clark. The guard is on a two-way deal with the Wolves and was a crucial defensive piece to last year’s Western Conference runner-up. Clark averaged nearly 30 minutes per game but struggled to shoot the ball, going 30.8% from the field and 30.4% from deep.
Golden State Warriors guard Jules Bernard rounded out the notable Bruin producers with 8.3 points per game but was limited to just 15 minutes per game across four contests. Houston Rockets center Moses Brown played just 6.8 minutes per game but still mustered four points per contest. Orlando Magic guard Lazar Stefanović played just 10 total minutes through two games.
With the NBA regular season starting in the fall, the Summer League Bruins may earn another opportunity to reflect John Wooden’s legacy at the professional level.
Softball: Megan Faraimo, Sharlize Palacios, Maya Brady, Jadelyn Allchin, Lisa Fernandez, Kirk Walker, Will Oldham, Talons; Bubba Nickles-Camarena, Delanie Wisz, Bandits
(Daily Bruin file photo)
Former Bruin pitcher Megan Faraimo prepares to pitch the ball toward the plate at Easton Stadium. (Daily Bruin file photo)
An athlete’s ability to excel when it matters most often defines their legacy.
And former UCLA pitcher Megan Faraimo embraces high-leverage situations.
The former Bruin recorded a strikeout against Northwestern to advance in the 2022 Women’s College World Series in a bases-loaded jam with a full count, pumping her fists and charging out of the pitching circle to celebrate her triumph.
Reliability earns appearances in high-pressure moments.
Faraimo received a similar opportunity just three years later in the first game of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League Championship series between the Talons and the Bandits on July 27 at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, helping to secure a 3-1 win.
After forfeiting a single with two outs in the top of the seventh, the right-handed pitcher faced a potential game-tying runner at the plate.
But Faraimo got ahead in the count and threw a pitch that tracked toward the high outside corner of the strike zone, baiting Bandit infielder Danielle Gibson to swing. Gibson sliced through the pitch, and just as Faraimo had done against the Wildcats, she ended the inning with a pumped fist.
Fellow UCLA alumnus Sharlize Palacios caught the game-winning strike from behind the plate and hugged Faraimo to celebrate the victory.
And Faraimo’s outing may have ignited the Talons’ pitching staff’s success in the following game just a couple hours after her circle celebration, with the resounding third strike representing the spark.
The Talons didn’t surrender another run in the championship series, defeating the Bandits 1-0 to clinch the inaugural AUSL title.
Seven Bruins – including four players and three coaches – hoisted the championship trophy.
Although some players falter under the pressure, utility player Maya Brady cemented her superstar status despite playing just eight games because of a hamstring strain that sidelined her from April to June.
The former 2023 and 2024 Pac-12 Player of the Year for UCLA slashed .647/.727/.882 across her six regular-season performances, contributing to the Talons’ title push.
UCLA alumni and Bandits Bubba Nickles-Camarena and Delanie Wisz competed against the Talons but failed to fulfill their title ambitions.
Nickles-Camarena boasted three hits in just six at-bats throughout the series. The outfielder concluded her 2025 campaign sporting a .513 slugging clip while lifting seven home runs, the second-most on her team.
The Bruins seemingly helped kickstart the AUSL’s debut season.
But just as life often comes full circle, so did the AUSL.
Because they also ended the league’s inaugural campaign, crowned as champions.
Women’s water polo: Dania Innis, Alison Sagara, Lauren Steele, Carly McMurray, Jojo Walters, Katherine O’Dea, Tali Stryker
(Daily Bruin file photo)
Rising junior center Dania Innis raises her hand in front of an opponent with the ball. (Daily Bruin file photo)
A meaningful comeback does not need to be perfect.
And Team USA women’s water polo proved that.
The squad competed at the 2025 FISU World University Games, hosted by the International University Sports Federation in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, from July 17 to July 26. The team consisted entirely of UCLA women’s water polo players, with 17 making the trip. Team USA was able to come back and secure a second-place finish after an up-and-down tournament start.
The team went 1-2 in group play, and all three games had a goal differential of two or less. Team USA dropped the opening match to Italy 9-7 but defeated New Zealand 12-10 to secure its only group play victory.
Six different Bruins found the back of the net in the tournament opener, with rising junior center Dania Innis netting two goals. However, Italy outshot the American squad, finishing the match with 33 attempts compared to Team USA’s 25.
Incoming freshman attacker Alison Sagara led the charge against New Zealand with four goals on an .800 shot percentage. On the back end, rising junior goalkeeper Lauren Steele finished with a .600 save percentage, racking up 15 saves.
Six Team USA players also scored against Japan, and four players posted two or more goals. Attackers Carly McMurray and Jojo Walters led the team with three goals apiece.
Team USA advanced to the quarterfinals, outshooting Australia while boasting a .357 shot percentage and combining for 10 goals. Team USA began the match with four unanswered goals and maintained the lead for the entire match.
Revenge is always sweet, and it’s even sweeter when it’s in the semifinals.
Team USA was able to fend off Italy, advancing to the gold medal match after losing to the Italian team in group play. Incoming freshman attacker Katherine O’Dea led the team with three goals, while Steele posted a tournament-high 17 saves on a .739 save percentage.
Trailing Germany 9-2 in the fourth, the American squad had 2:54 to muster a comeback. And although the Americans scored four more goals, they couldn’t overcome the deficit.
The Bruins performed well despite falling short of the gold medal. Steele finished the tournament ranked second in saves and save percentage, recording 69 saves on a .622 save percentage. She also boasted a tournament-high five penalty saves and seven steals. Steele was the only goalkeeper to score – tallying three goals, two of which came in the final.
O’Dea – who scored five of six matches – finished as Team USA’s top scorer with 10 goals, and rising sophomore attacker Tali Stryker represented the tournament’s sprints leader, winning nine out of her 11 attempts.
Team USA walked away with a silver medal, its third medal in FISU games history and first since hoisting the tournament trophy in 2017.
Men’s water polo: Bode Brinkema, Noah Rowe, Peter Castillo, Wade Sherlock, Gray Carson, Nate Tauscher
(Karla Cardenas-Felipe/Daily Bruin staff)
Rising sophomore utility Bode Brinkema rises out of the water and prepares to throw the ball. (Karla Cardenas-Felipe/Daily Bruin staff)
If a Venn diagram were to be drawn between Team USA men’s water polo and the Bruins, it would be a perfect circle.
And that’s exactly what happened at the 2025 FISU World University Games hosted by the International University Sports Federation, where the entire American roster consisted of UCLA men’s water polo players. The 16 Bruins – led by coach Adam Wright – competed in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, from July 18 to July 26, finishing the tournament with a silver medal.
Team USA finished group play with a 1-2 record, beating New Zealand 19-8 after falling to Hungary and Germany.
Rising sophomore utility Bode Brinkema opened the tournament with a team-high four goals on a 36.4% shot percentage against Hungary on July 18 before going scoreless on eight attempts against Germany the next day.
Rising senior attacker Noah Rowe had his highest-scoring match against Germany with three goals, while rising sophomore utility Peter Castillo matched the tally.
Despite individual standouts, the Bruins were out-executed on both ends of the pool across the two contests, giving up nine more combined shot attempts while also being blocked a combined eight more times.
Team USA’s match against New Zealand on July 21 was its largest win of the tournament, with 10 players scoring, including Castillo’s team-high four goals.
The squad then entered the quarterfinal round, where its strong defensive performance held Georgia to a .250 shot percentage.
Rising junior attacker Wade Sherlock propelled the four-point victory with his 4/4 scoring performance, three of which came in the last quarter.
In the semifinals, Wright’s squad held its own in its rematch against Hungary, entering the final frame tied at 11.
A pair of goals by rising senior utility Gray Carson and Brinkema lifted the Bruins in the final 150 seconds of action, with two Hungarian shot attempts stopped in the last 35 seconds to prevent a comeback.
Rising redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Nate Tauscher anchored Team USA’s defense throughout the tournament, finishing first among all goalies in saves and save percentage, while coming second in penalty saves and steals.
However, Tauscher’s and the rest of the team’s efforts weren’t enough to come out on top at the very end.
Although the squad was neck-and-neck with No. 1 Italy – trailing by one at halftime – a 6-2 third quarter in favor of the Italians caused the Americans to fall behind and eventually lose 16-12.
Nonetheless, Team USA finished the tournament with a silver medal – the first American men’s podium finish at the FISU games since earning silver in 2019.