UCLA Women’s Basketball Poised for Perfect Big Ten Regular Season

In their second season competing in the Big Ten Conference, the UCLA Bruins are on the verge of achieving a historic milestone: a perfect regular-season record. With a dominant performance throughout the season, the Bruins are set to become just the fourth program to accomplish this feat in Big Ten women’s basketball history.

A Historic Run

A victory in their final regular-season game would cement UCLA’s place among an exclusive group of teams. Only Maryland (2015), Purdue (1999), and Ohio State (1985) have previously completed a perfect Big Ten regular season. Maryland achieved this in their first year after joining the conference, mirroring UCLA’s current situation. The Big Ten began sponsoring women’s basketball in the 1982-83 season.

Dominant Performance This Season

UCLA currently boasts a 21-game winning streak, trailing only UConn (29 games) and North Dakota State (23 games) for the longest active streak in Division I women’s basketball. Their only loss this season came against Texas at the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas on November 26th. The Bruins secured their first outright conference regular-season title at 17-0 with an 80-60 win over Wisconsin on Sunday, following an 82-67 victory over Washington on Thursday. Center Lauren Betts combined for 42 points and 22 rebounds in those two games.

Rivalry and Conference Landscape

UCLA holds a 55-54 all-time series lead over USC, having defeated the Trojans 80-46 at home on January 3rd. While USC has shown improvement, winning six of their past seven games, the absence of JuJu Watkins due to a knee injury has impacted their performance. The Tar Heels have climbed back into the Power Rankings this week at No. 16.

Other Power Conference Standings

Elsewhere in the Power 4 conferences, UConn continues to dominate, while South Carolina has clinched at least a share of its fifth consecutive SEC regular-season title. Texas and Vanderbilt are battling for the final NCAA No. 1 seed in the SEC, and Duke leads the ACC with a one-game lead over Louisville. Oklahoma and TCU are similarly making strong pushes in their respective conferences.

Looking Ahead

As UCLA approaches the culmination of its regular season, all eyes are on whether they can complete their historic run. A perfect Big Ten record would not only be a testament to their talent and hard work but also position them favorably as they head into the NCAA tournament.