A second chance at a Big Ten championship – though a different form – is on the horizon.

Even after falling to the Trojans on Saturday to surrender the Big Ten regular season title, the Bruins are three games from potentially hoisting their inaugural conference trophy.

Having obtained a double bye for their second-place regular season finish, No. 2 seed UCLA women’s basketball (27-2, 16-2 Big Ten) will enter the Big Ten tournament in the quarterfinal round, facing No. 10 seed Nebraska (21-10, 10-8) on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Following Saturday’s loss at Pauley Pavilion, juniors guard Kiki Rice and forward Gabriela Jaquez – along with redshirt graduate student guard Charlisse Leger-Walker – called a players-only meeting to watch film and pinpoint what went wrong.

“I thought it would be best for us to just sit down and watch the game through without comments from coaches,” Rice said. “We wanted to really focus on not holding back, really saying what we needed to say to each other and knowing we’re doing it because we want to win.”

Coach Cori Close said Leger-Walker – who sat the regular season out due to an ACL injury – is clear to begin practicing with the team after electing to medically redshirt Dec. 6. She will return to the Bruins in full capacity in the 2025-2026 season.

Close added that the meeting was a mental turning point for the team and that similar meetings had been encouraged throughout the season.

“It was tough. Obviously, there were a lot of things that we didn’t hear that had to be said,” said junior center Lauren Betts. “Let’s just have this moment and get it all out now. We don’t have time to focus on that game. We have bigger things coming up.”

UCLA’s attention has quickly turned to the postseason, with chances at both a Big Ten championship and an NCAA title looming in March. If UCLA survives to the semifinals, it could face No. 3 Ohio State or No. 11 seed Iowa – both teams it defeated by just 13 and two points, respectively, in the regular season.

But first, UCLA must beat Nebraska. The Cornhuskers upset No. 7 seed Fighting Illini in a 25-point fourth-quarter comeback in the second round Thursday.

UCLA opened Big Ten play with a 91-54 victory over Nebraska on Dec. 29.

After missing two games due to injury, Betts returned against the Cornhuskers and put up a game-leading 21 points while snatching eight boards.

“This (the postseason) is what we work for all season,” Betts said. “This is why we have a really difficult pre-season, why we work on things during the regular season. So in moments like this we’re ready to go.”

Rice also broke the 1,000-point barrier in that game.

In Nebraska’s first match of the Big Ten tournament, it defeated No. 15 seed Rutgers 84-60. The last time Nebraska played a ranked opponent during the regular season, it upset then-No. 17 Maryland 91-71 on the road.

“‘Do you have a plan to get better for the sake of the team? Do you have a plan to make somebody else better because you’re here?’” Close asked. “And if we stick to that, we’re going to be just fine.”