No. 2-ranked UCLA will play its final regular season game against USC on Sunday, aiming to finish the Big Ten schedule undefeated. The Bruins, with a 27-1 overall record and 17-0 in conference play, could become the first Big Ten team to complete an unbeaten conference season since Maryland achieved the feat in 2014-15.
The matchup is set for 3 p.m. PT at the Galen Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast on FS1. Following the game, a documentary titled “You See L.A.” will air, offering a look back at UCLA’s historic 2024-25 season.
UCLA leads the all-time series against USC by one game after defeating them earlier this season, marking their second consecutive win over their crosstown rivals.
In their most recent outing, UCLA secured its first outright Big Ten regular season title with an 80-60 victory over Wisconsin. Senior Lauren Betts led all scorers with 19 points and collected 14 rebounds for her eleventh double-double of the year. Five Bruins finished in double figures during that game: L. Betts (19), G. Jaquez (17), G. Kneepkens (13), K. Rice (13), and A. Dugalić (10).
“With a win over Washington Thursday, UCLA claimed a share of the B1G regular season title; it marked the first time the Bruins have earned a share of the regular season title since 1998-99, when they shared the Pac-10 title with Oregon (15-3). The Bruins won the conference outright with a win against Wisconsin (Feb. 22); it was the first time in program history that UCLA has made sole claim of the regular season championship,” according to information from UCLA Athletics.
The Bruins started this season ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press Top 25 Women’s Basketball Poll and faced several top-ranked teams in November, finishing that month with three wins against ranked opponents out of four games played at neutral sites.
UCLA has been recognized as USBWA National Team of the Week after going undefeated from Nov. 10-15 and holds ten ranked wins this season—seven within Big Ten play—with an average margin of victory nearing twenty points per game.
The team’s roster includes seven McDonald’s All Americans: Lauren Betts, Sienna Betts, Angela Dugalić, Timea Gardiner, Gabriela Jaquez, Amanda Muse, and Kiki Rice; Jaquez and Rice were co-MVPs in their all-star appearance.
Four players are averaging double-digit points per game: L. Betts (16.7), K. Rice (15.3), G. Jaquez (14.1), and G. Kneepkens (13.2). The starting five account for nearly eighty percent of total scoring.
Statistically, UCLA leads or ranks near the top among Big Ten teams in several categories including assist-to-turnover ratio, field goal percentage (.514), defensive field goal percentage (.360), rebounding margin (+15.5 RPG), total rebounds per game (42.9 RPG), and scoring margin (+28.5). They are also second in three-point shooting percentage (.376) within their conference and rank ninth nationally.
UCLA is currently second in NET rankings nationwide with fourteen Quad 1 wins this year.
Several players have received individual recognition mid-season: Kiki Rice was named to Lieberman Award list; Gianna Kneepkens to Meyers Drysdale; Gabriela Jaquez to Miller; Lauren Betts to Leslie Award lists respectively.
Lauren Betts was included on both Wooden Award Late Midseason Top 20 and Naismith Trophy Player of The Year Late Season Team lists; Kiki Rice appeared on Naismith’s late-season team as well but was omitted from Wooden’s updated watch list.
For the first time since data tracking began in 1999-2000 for program history, seven different Bruins scored double figures during their Feb. 15 win over Indiana.
