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Black History Month 2025

Undefeated UCLA women’s basketball to face Washington in Big Ten kickoff

Junior guard Kiki Rice dribbles past a defender. The guard recently returned from a minor shoulder injury. (Nicolas Greamo/Daily Bruin senior staff)

Women's Basketball


Washington
Sunday, 2 p.m.

Seattle, Washington
Big Ten Network

By J. Spencer Brown

Dec. 7, 2024 9:21 p.m.

An undefeated UCLA squad will enter Big Ten play for the first time in program history.

And while the conference is new, the opponent is all too familiar.

Following its trip to the Rainbow Wahine Showdown – which featured three games in as many days – undefeated No. 1 UCLA women’s basketball (8-0) is set to face Washington (7-2) on Sunday afternoon.

“It feels more like a Pac-12 opener than a Big Ten opener,” said coach Cori Close. “Having that background with them is probably an advantage for us.”

Having sustained a shoulder injury that caused her to miss the team’s first three matches, junior guard Kiki Rice totaled season highs in points and minutes – with 21 and 30, respectively – in the team’s most recent win over Hawai’i.

“I’m feeling a lot better,” Rice said. “As every game goes on and every week of practice, I have more time getting involved in everything and feeling more comfortable out there.”

Over the course of the tournament, Rice knocked down 6-for-9 attempts from beyond the arc, improving her 3-point shooting to 50% on the season. Her 3-point percentage thus far marks an improvement from the 2023-2024 season, where she shot 31.2%.

“She’s shooting it great,” Close said. “One of the silver linings of having that time off with an injury is that it was shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot.”

Washington is led in shooting by guard Sayvia Sellers, who has made 48.5% of 3-pointers attempted this season. Sellers is one of three Huskies who have shot at 40% or higher from beyond the arc.

“I think Sellers is such an improved player this year,” Close said. “(The Huskies) have added a lot more dimension to their offense this year. … They shoot the ball well, they’re balanced.”

On the opposite end of the floor, Washington will be tasked with guarding junior center Lauren Betts, who averaged 18.7 points and 9 points over the three-game stretch in Hawaii. The John R. Wooden Award candidate recorded two double-doubles for the Bruins during the tournament, upping her season total to six.

Betts is one of the many offensive weapons for the Bruins, who had five players in double-digit scoring across each of the tournament’s first two games.

“Depending on the night, you never know how people are going to guard Lauren and what it’s going to create for other people,” Close said.

Despite being the Big Ten’s proverbial “new kids on the block,” the rivalry between the Bruins the Huskies is well established. The former Pac-12 foes have met 73 previous times, with UCLA winning each of their last seven matchups and holding a 40-33 all-time record against Washington.

“They know who they are,” Close said. “I think their abilities to attack with efficiency and the way that they’re defending and scoring in transition makes them a really good team.”

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J. Spencer Brown
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