No. 5 UCLA gymnastics will return to Pauley Pavilion on Friday night, facing Washington. Daily Bruin reporter Finn Karish discusses the Husky talent ahead of the matchup.

Washington

Ranking: 37th

Strength: Beam

Weakness: Consistency

X-Factor: Lilly Tubbs

After a last-place finish in their first Big Ten campaign last season, the Huskies’ start to 2026 has been marred by inconsistency.

The Huskies opened the season with a 195.625 performance – but four meets in, their season average now sits almost a point below that mark. Washington’s 193.575 tally against Maryland on Jan. 17 marked its lowest score and first time scoring below 194.000 since its contest against Arizona State in 2021.

Despite these early struggles, the lineups for vault, bars and beam have remained consistent.

The Huskies have shone on beam, with a team average of 48.794 that ranks 27th nationally, their highest national ranking on any event by 15 spots.

Although the entire lineup has showcased high-scoring potential – every Husky has scored at least a 9.825 this season – three of the gymnasts own beam averages below 9.600, highlighting inconsistency even on Washington’s strongest event.

Graduate student Deiah Moody owns a team-high 9.806 average on bars, and junior Mary McDonough has averaged 9.419 on vault through four meets – a four-tenth drop-off from her team-leading 9.820 NQS last season.

McDonough, who competed in the all-around at the NCAA championships last season, has been missing from the beam lineup this season, and her 9.331 average on bars sits over three-tenths below her 2025 average. Despite better showings on the floor, including a season-high of 9.825, the junior is far from her peak all-around performance of 39.450 last season, showcasing her potential for significant improvement as the season progresses.

Lilly Tubbs also has the potential to shift momentum in Washington’s favor. The senior is the only Husky to have scored a 9.825 or higher on three events this year, and her 9.900 on bars Friday against Rutgers was a team-best this season. Nevertheless, a missed connection and near-fall on the apparatus in her first meet illustrates the early-season nerves that make her a wildcard for the matchup against the Bruins.

Washington’s floor scores have seen the most fluctuations of all the events for Washington, ranging from 48.000 against Maryland to a season-high 49.275 Friday against Rutgers. Senior Caitlin McWilliams and freshman Haley Fichiera lead the squad with averages of 9.831 and 9.825, respectively, and the Huskies’ scores have potential to improve, with six gymnasts in the lineup having scored a 9.825 or higher this season. Still, consistency remains an issue.

Some of this inconsistency may be due to the loss of two of the Huskies’ event leaders and Second Team All-Big Ten honorees from 2025, with Emily Innes transferring to LSU and Taylor Russon graduating. Innes led the team with a floor NQS of 9.910, and Russon led bars and beam with NQS marks of 9.890 on both. Bars, floor and beam have seen a drop in the national rankings since their respective departures.

Gymnasts like Tubbs, Moody, Fichiera and freshman Jessica Schaffer have stepped in to fill these gaps in the lineup, but there is still room for improvement before reaching last season’s level.