While the championship pedigree is clear, it’s the unique international background and deep Serbian roots of Angela Dugalic that have forged the player dominating for the Bruins.
Where Is Angela Dugalic From and What Is Her Nationality?
Angela Dugalic was born in Des Plaines, Illinois, in the United States. She holds dual citizenship in Serbia and America but represented the Serbian National Team, winning gold with them at the 2021 EuroBasket tournament.
She currently lives in California and was part of UCLA’s historic National Championship-winning run this year.
What Is Angela Dugalic’s Ethnicity and Family Background?
Born to Serbian immigrants Dragovan and Vesna, Angela Dugalic inherited a rich athletic background; her mother was a first-league handball player for top clubs like Radnicki Belgrade, while her father played soccer and practiced martial arts.
Her parents moved to the United States to escape the Yugoslav region’s geopolitical conflict, a move that paved the way for Angela and her brother, Milos, to pursue their athletic careers. Milos played for Illinois Tech before turning professional in Serbia and now plays for the Bristol Flyers in the British Super League.
What Religion Does Angela Dugalic Follow?
Angela Dugalic’s traditional upbringing reinforced her Serbian Orthodox faith, a belief system rooted in her family’s active membership at the Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox church in Chicago.
She is a key regional figure in the Serbian community who cherished and celebrated her recent achievement with the UCLA Bruins.
Which High School Did Angela Dugalic Attend?
Angela Dugalic went to the local Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Illinois. In 2019, Dugalic played a key role as Maine West went 35-0 to win the State Championship. While she was a prolific contributor throughout her high school years, Dugalic’s senior year catapulted her into recognition and made her one of the top-rated recruits going into 2020.
She averaged over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game during her senior year, earning McDonald’s All-American honors and being named the Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year in 2020. She became a five-star recruit in the 2020 class and ultimately committed to Oregon, whose 2020 recruitment is still considered one of the best in the program’s history.
She transferred to UCLA after a year, and this year has been a breakthrough year for the 24-year-old. Not only did she win the National Championship, but she was also named the Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year.
the best off the bench – Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year Angela Dugalić pic.twitter.com/1tC7fNe50t
— Barstool UCLA (@StoolWestwood) March 3, 2026
Dugalic averaged 9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in her senior year at UCLA, and her shooting efficiency really shone as she finished the season shooting over 50% from the field. The 24-year-old is widely recognized as an athletic forward with the ability to guard any position, a quality that WNBA teams struggle to find.
Angela Dugalic is projected to land anywhere from the top 10 to the top 25, with varied summaries of her ability according to mock drafts. However, her international experience with the Serbian National Team and now the UCLA Bruins will help add a winning culture, and the new WNBA teams, Portland and Toronto, could be tempted to add her to their inaugural roster.
