With a backcourt overflowing with talent, UCLA women’s
basketball coach Kathy Olivier landed exactly what she needed
earlier this week ““ a potentially dominant center.
San Clemente High’s Lindsey Pluimer, one of the
nation’s top-30 prospects, has committed to attend UCLA.
Widely regarded as the Bruins’ top priority in this
year’s recruiting class, the 6-feet-3-inch Pluimer was
believed to be leaning toward Stanford but ultimately chose to stay
in Southern California. She averaged 14 points and nine rebounds
this past season as a junior, leading San Clemente to a 28-4 record
and a berth in the Southern California Division I semifinals.
The addition of Pluimer fills a huge need for UCLA. Aside from
seldom-used Sissy Pickett, the Bruins’ only other true center
on the roster is incoming freshman Consuelo Lezcano.
Pluimer is the second Orange County recruit to commit to the
Bruins in as many weeks. This past week, Brea High guard Lauren
Pedersen ““ a club teammate of Pluimer’s on Swish Black
““ became the first player in the Class of 2004 to announce
she will attend UCLA.
A third member of Swish Black, Newhall Hart High’s Ashlee
Trebilcock, is also a potential UCLA target. The 5-foot-9
Trebilcock averaged 19 points, five rebounds and four steals per
game last season as a sophomore, and is considered one of the best
prep point guards in the nation.
The Bruins have two more scholarships to fill in the coming
weeks, and they could be poised to make another splash.
Olivier is believed to be making a push for a pair of top-10
national recruits ““ LaJolla Country Day forward Candice
Wiggins and Charde Houston of San Diego High.
Houston appears to be a bit of a longshot while Wiggins has
stated recently that Stanford is her top choice. But if either one
ends up in Westwood, UCLA should have its second consecutive top-10
recruiting class.