No. 2 UCLA women’s basketball (23-1, 13-0 Big Ten) will travel to East Lansing to face No. 13 Michigan State (20-4, 9-4) on Wednesday. UCLA stands to continue its 17-game win streak, with its only loss coming in November to No. 4 Texas.

UCLA is coming off Sunday’s 69-66 victory over then-No. 8 Michigan. The Spartans enter the game following an 81-70 win over Penn State on Feb. 7, preceded by two ranked losses to then-No. 22 Maryland and then-No. 9 Michigan on Feb. 4 and Feb. 1, respectively, with a combined deficit of seven points.

Personnel:
Coach: Robyn Fralick
Bigs/Forwards: F Grace VanSlooten, F Inés Sotelo
Guards: G Kennedy Blair, G Jalyn Brown, G Rashunda Jones, G Emma Shumate
Best Player: Grace VanSlooten
X-Factor: Kennedy Blair

Stat Profile:
Points per game: 85.3
Field goal percentage: 49%
Points allowed per game: 63.2
Field goal percentage allowed: 41.4%

Frontcourt:

The Spartans are led by 6-foot-3 forward Grace VanSlooten, who is averaging 15.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game against conference opponents. Her rebounding mark ranks tenth in the Big Ten.

VanSlooten has scored double-digits in every game since Dec. 28, and this consistency headlines the Spartan offense. However, the senior faltered in Feb. 1’s overtime loss to Michigan, shooting just 35.7% from the field, noticeably below her conference average of 46.8%. She also ended the game with six rebounds, her third-lowest mark of the conference season.

That is not to say that VanSlooten cannot produce in games against top frontcourts, as she recorded 17 points and seven rebounds against then-No. 11 Iowa on Jan. 18.

The Spartans’ frontcourt also features fellow 6-foot-3 forward Inés Sotelo. Sotelo has started in all 12 conference games she has played, averaging 7.8 points on 46.4% shooting from the field and nabbing 4.2 rebounds per game. She scored 15 points and logged eight rebounds in the loss to Michigan, both season-highs.

UCLA’s frontcourt, led by 6-foot-7 senior center Lauren Betts, though, has yet to meet its match in conference play.

Betts leads the Bruins in scoring and rebounding, averaging 17.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game against conference opponents – good for 12th and second in the Big Ten, respectively. The Centennial, Colorado, local is shooting 55.5% from the field in Big Ten play and has not shot below 40% since Nov. 30.

She is backed by 6-foot-4 graduate forward Angela Dugalić, who averages 8.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in conference play, and 6-foot-4 freshman forward Sienna Betts, who averages seven points and 4.5 rebounds per game against Big Ten teams.

VanSlooten and Sotelo will be put to the test against Lauren Betts’ 29 conference game blocks, but two dominant forces on the inside will put pressure on the Bruins four-guard starting lineup.

Backcourt:

Michigan State’s backcourt is highlighted by Kennedy Blair, the Spartans’ second-leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 14.9 points and 7.1 rebounds a game across conference play. She is shooting at a 49.3% clip from the field and leads the team in assists, averaging over five per Big Ten game.

Blair recorded 21 points and 10 rebounds against the Wolverines – the highest rebounding mark on the squad. Her 20-plus points tied with fellow guard Jalyn Brown for the highest-scoring numbers of the matchup.

Brown averages 11.2 points per game in Big Ten play and has started in 11 conference matchups. Rashunda Jones, who is averaging 12.6 points and 4.4 rebounds against Big Ten competition, has started in every conference game.

Michigan State’s threat on the 3-point line is less prominent than UCLA’s. The only Spartan with over 12 successful attempts from deep in conference play is Emma Shumate, who comes off the bench. She is shooting 39.7% from beyond the arc against Big Ten opponents.

The Bruins, on the other hand, have three players boasting at least 12 3-pointers made in conference play. Graduate student Charlisse Leger-Walker is shooting 40% from deep, senior Kiki Rice is shooting 42.9% and graduate student Gianna Kneepkens is averaging almost 2.4 connected threes a game off a 47% clip.

Three players on UCLA’s backcourt are averaging double digits in Big Ten play, with senior Gabriela Jaquez averaging 13.3 points and 4.9 rebounds a game, Kneepkens averaging 12.4 points and Rice averaging 14.8 points, along with 5.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists per contest.

Leger-Walker contributes 4.9 assists a game and has 18 steals against conference opponents, second on the Bruin lineup behind Rice’s 23.

The starting three Spartan guards have a combined 105 turnovers in conference play, compared to only 85 by the four starting Bruin guards. Michigan State’s guards may struggle against the defensive pressure applied by the UCLA backcourt.

Overall:

The Bruins and the Spartans have similar stats for points scored and points against, but the Bruins hold a slight advantage on both. UCLA scores 86 points per game in comparison to 85.3 from Michigan State, and coach Cori Close’s squad allows only 57 points compared to the Spartans’ 63.2.

UCLA is also a more efficient team, shooting 51.8% from the field compared to Michigan State’s 49% mark. The consistency of Close’s team will be put to the test as they face their second top-15 conference opponent in as many games.