LOS ANGELES — The UCLA women’s basketball team achieved about all it can for a regular season.

The Bruins won the Big Ten regular-season title and went undefeated through conference play, earning the highest win-percentage (.966) in the program’s history. They racked up end-of-season conference awards as senior Lauren Betts won Big Ten Player of the Year and earned her second nod as Defensive Player of the Year. Graduate student Angela Dugalic won Sixth Player of the Year and Cori Close won Coach of the Year.

Those accolades reflect a storied season, but don’t hold weight next to the Bruins’ ultimate goals. Now, No. 2 UCLA must ensure those aren’t consolation prizes, and translate that success to the postseason.

That starts when the top-seeded Bruins, after a double-bye, play their first Big Ten Tournament game in a quarterfinal against eighth-seeded Washington at 9 a.m. PT Friday. The Bruins need to win three games over three days to defend their conference tournament title.

UCLA beat USC to achieve that hardware last season. The Bruins don’t have to go through their crosstown rival this time around, though, as the Trojans lost to Washington 76-64 in the second round Thursday. Washington is enjoying its first 20-win season since 2016-17, but lost to UCLA 82-67 on Feb. 19.

The Huskies (21-9, 10-8) are led by junior guard Sayvia Sellers and sophomore guard Avery Howell, a USC transfer. Sellers scored 14 points and dished seven assists against UCLA the last time they faced one another. Howell, a USC transfer, had 17 points and seven rebounds in that game, and scored 18 points Thursday against her former teammates.

Having won 22 games in a row, UCLA is prepared for Friday’s game, and the potential ones following that if it beats Washington, after it began approaching each matchup with a “1-0” mentality, treating each 40-minute affair like an elimination game.

“We have really big goals for this team, and I know we’re going to get them as long as we all stay present and just focus on the task at hand,” Betts said last week.

While UCLA is taking each game as it comes, Close is still emphasizing improving throughout that process.

“It’s about, how are we playing? Are we making steps to playing our best basketball in March?” Close said. “That’s really all I care about, growth and our how. I’ve given them very distinct areas of improvement, both individually and collectively.”

Those areas, Close explained, include taking care of the ball, being efficient with passes and dribbles, having a passion and urgency to make hustle plays, and controlling the glass.

“If everybody can get a few possessions better, it’s important,” Close said. “I want them to have this heightened sense of ownership, to grow in their area, and to add value to as many possessions as they can.”

Big Ten Tournament

Who: UCLA (28-1, 18-0 Big Ten) vs. Washington (20-9, 10-8)

When: 9 a.m. PT Friday

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

TV/Radio: Big Ten Network

Related Articles