The favorite, the underdog, the anti-hero and the villain.
Expectations and perception shape archetypes.
But what happens when the hype is so high that the best-case scenario is simply meeting expectations?

No. 2 UCLA women’s basketball (22-1, 12-0 Big Ten) will face No. 8 Michigan (20-3, 11-1) in a showdown between the conference’s top-two teams Sunday. UCLA is on a 16-game win streak – the team has not lost since its Nov.

This post was updated Feb. 5 at 11:54 p.m.
With time counting down on the shot clock in the opening possession, senior guard Kiki Rice launched a step-back 3-pointer that flew out-of-bounds. 
Rutgers forward Faith Blackstone responded less than 10 seconds later with a banked 3 – giving the Scarlet Knights a 3-0 lead.

This post was updated Feb. 1 at 9:16 p.m.
The backboard flashed red as graduate student Gianna Kneepkens’ deep shot hung in the air.
As the ball fell comfortably through the net, a roar engulfed the sea of blue – speckled with Hawkeye gold – that filled the stands of Pauley Pavilion. 
Kneepkens’ buzzer-beating 3-pointer sent the Bruins into halftime with a double-digit lead they never relinquished, powering No.

No. 2 UCLA women’s basketball (20-1, 10-0 Big Ten) will face No. 8 Iowa (18-3, 9-1) at Pauley Pavilion on Sunday in its second top-10 matchup of the season.

This post was updated Feb. 1 at 9:10 p.m.
Senior forward Timea Gardiner will redshirt the 2025-26 campaign because of injury, the UCLA women’s basketball player announced Saturday in an Instagram statement. 
Gardiner is recovering from an undisclosed knee injury suffered in the offseason that has kept her benched for the entirety of the season.

This post was updated Jan. 29 at 8:57 p.m.
A star player coming out of the game early is never ideal.
But when senior center Lauren Betts picked up her third foul on a technical call with 90 seconds remaining in the first quarter, coach Cori Close made the decision to sit her for the rest of the half.