UCLA women’s basketball will play against the Texas Longhorns in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championships, according to an April 1 announcement from UCLA Athletics. The game is scheduled for Friday, April 3, at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix and will be broadcast on ESPN at approximately 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
This matchup holds particular significance as Texas is the only team to defeat UCLA this season. The Bruins currently hold a record of 35-1, while Texas stands at 35-3. Earlier this season, Texas won their meeting in Las Vegas with a score of 76-65 and also defeated UCLA in the NCAA tournament in 2021.
Fans unable to attend the game in Phoenix are invited to a watch party at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Admission is free and doors open at 6 p.m. Pacific Time on April 3.
UCLA recently secured its second consecutive Big Ten tournament title with a decisive win over Iowa, marking its third conference tournament championship overall and first back-to-back titles for the program. Senior Kiki Rice was named Most Outstanding Player for her performance during the tournament weekend, averaging over sixteen points per game. Lauren Betts joined her on both all-tournament teams and was also recognized as Sacramento Regional Most Outstanding Player after leading all scorers with twenty-three points against Duke.
The Bruins have set several records this season including an undefeated run through conference play (18-0), winning a program-record twenty-eight straight games since their loss to Texas last November, and breaking their single-season win record with thirty-five victories so far. Head Coach Cori Close has achieved three hundred fifty-six career wins and earned Coach of the Year honors for guiding her team through an unbeaten conference schedule.
Individual players have received numerous accolades: Betts was named Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year by unanimous selection; Angela Dugalić received Sixth Player of the Year; Rice earned All-America honors; Gianna Kneepkens was recognized as a top shooting guard finalist; Gabriela Jaquez is up for Small Forward of the Year; Sienna Betts made All-Freshman Team; Charlisse Leger-Walker was honored for sportsmanship.
The broader impact includes UCLA’s return to national prominence—making consecutive trips to national semifinals for only the second time since their AIAW title run in late seventies—and maintaining high rankings throughout pre-tournament polls while competing successfully against multiple top-ranked opponents.
