After starting 63 games over the two previous seasons, it would make sense that UCLA graduate forward Angela Dugalić would start all the games of her final college basketball season, but Dugalic is a team player.
The Maine West alum and Des Plaines native has always been about teamwork before her personal accolades. From 2016-17 to 2019-20, West went 125-10, with four regional titles, four sectional titles, two supersectional titles, a third place state medal and an undefeated state championship.
She could have easily scored well over 2,000 points in her high school career, but she finished with 1,782 points over those four years and a win-loss record that most players would be envious of. At Maine West, Dugalić was selected first team IBCA All-State in 2019 and 2020, along with fourth team in 2018.
While she wasn’t used to coming off the bench in high school, Dugalić made the personal choice to move to the bench for UCLA in her final season. Now, UCLA is headed to the Final Four for a second straight season after knocking out Duke, 70-58, Sunday (March 29) in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
UCLA’s Angela Dugalic (32), a Maine West alum, celebrates late in the win over Duke. (Photo courtesy of Ross Turteltaub/UCLA Athletics)
Dugalić went 7-for-13 shooting coming off the bench against Duke, including making 7-of-9 2-point field goal attempts, for 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.
She came on strong late in the game, helping UCLA (35-1) outscore Duke 39-19 in the second half after trailing 39-31 at halftime.
“We all have the same end goal at the end of the day,” Dugalić said in a postgame press conference Sunday. “What I did to take a step back to be a sixth player…I am proud that I did that. At the same time, it seemed like the obvious answer (for the team). I just wanted consistency for the team.”
Dugalić was named the 2025-26 Big Ten “Sixth Player of the Year” award winner for her great work off the bench this season.
With UCLA clinging to a narrow 49-47 lead in the third quarter, she went on a personal 7-0 run to give the Bruins a 56-47 lead with 8:56 to play.
“She can do everything on the court,” UCLA star Lauren Betts said of Dugalić in the press conference. “She is so skilled and spreads the floor so well. I think I am so proud of her confidence and poise going into the game. You can get into your head in moments when we were down, but she did all the right things and what we needed at that time.”
Entering the Final Four this year, Dugalić had scored 328 points, 202 rebounds, 75 assists, 40 steals and 21 blocks in 36 games.
Dugalić has played 139 games in her college career, including 67 starts. She played 24 games, including 1 start at Oregon in 2020-21, before transferring to UCLA. She played 115 games for UCLA since joining the team in 2021-22. She missed over half the season in 2021-22 and was out for the entire 2022-23 season, before returning in 2023-24.
UCLA’s Angela Dugalic (32) fires off a shot over Duke’s Delaney Thomas (12).
(Photo courtesy of Caren Nicdao/UCLA Athletics)
She sits at 1,021 career points, surpassing the 1,000-point mark in the Sweet 16 win over Minnesota, 80-56, after she scored 13. She also has 751 career rebounds, along with 247 assists, 145 steals and 82 blocks in her college career.
In the NCAA Tournament this year she tallied 10 points, 11 rebounds and 2 assists in the opening round 96-43 win over California Baptist. She scored 2 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in an 87-68 win over Oklahoma State in the round of 32. Dugalić pulled off a second double-double in the win over Minnesota, with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
In the 2025 tournament, when they fell in the Final Four round, Dugalić scored 27 points, 19 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks in the five games. In the 2024 tournament, she had 19 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks in three appearances.
UCLA was eliminated in the Sweet 16 in 2024 by LSU and fell to Connecticut in the Final Four last year. Dugalić competed in the WNIT Tournament in 2022, falling in the semifinal round to the eventual champions. She saw limited action for Oregon in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, before the Ducks were eliminated in the Sweet 16.
UCLA and UConn have advanced to the final four and their opponents will be either TCU/South Carolina or Michigan/Texas.
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