Wednesday, November 26
Las Vegas, Nev.
11 a.m. PT
UCLA
vs
Texas
Photo by: Caren Nicdao
No. 3 Bruins Ready for Players Era Women’s Championship Gauntlet
November 25, 2025 | Women's Basketball
LAS VEGAS – No. 3-ranked UCLA (6-0, 0-0 Big Ten) faces a significant challenge at the Players Era Women's Championship in Las Vegas from Nov. 26-27.
The Bruins tip off the inaugural women's event against No. 4-ranked Texas (5-0, 0-0 SEC) at 11 a.m. PT on Wednesday; the game will be broadcast to truTV and HBO Max. UCLA will then face either No. 2-ranked South Carolina (6-0, 0-0 SEC) or Duke (3-3, 0-0 ACC) on Thanksgiving, following Wednesday's results.
Tickets to the Players Era Women's Championship are available here.
GAME 1 INFORMATION: vs. No. 4 Texas Longhorns
Venue: Michelob ULTRA Arena
Location: Las Vegas, Nev.
Tip-off Time: 11 a.m. PT
TV: truTV / HBO Max
TV Talent: JB Long, Candace Parker, Chelsea Sherrod
Radio: UCLA Digital Radio; SiriusXM 162 or 195, and SiriusXM App
Radio Talent: Dave Marcus (UCLA)
GAME 2 INFORMATION: vs. No. 2 South Carolina Gamecocks or Duke Blue Devils
Venue: Michelob ULTRA Arena
Location: Las Vegas, Nev.
Tip-off Time: 5 or 7:30 p.m. PT
TV: truTV / HBO Max
TV Talent: JB Long, Candace Parker, Chelsea Sherrod
Radio: UCLA Digital Radio; SiriusXM App
Radio Talent: Dave Marcus (UCLA)
MATCHUP HISTORY: vs. Texas Longhorns
• UCLA and Texas are tied in the all-time series at 7-7. The Longhorns took the last meeting, 71-62, in the 2021 NCAA tournament. The Bruins are 2-3 against Texas under head coach Cori Close.
• The last three meetings between the programs have been at neutral sites in the NCAA tournament (2021, 2018, 2016).
MATCHUP HISTORY: vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
• South Carolina leads the all-time matchup 4-2, but UCLA holds a one-game win streak over the Gamecocks.
• UCLA captured its first non-forfeiture victory over South Carolina on Nov. 24, 2024, in front of a record-setting crowd in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. The Bruins knocked off then-No. 1 South Carolina, 77-62, in front of a sold-out audience; Lauren Betts led the way with 11 PTS, 14 REB, 4 AST and 4 BLK, and was joined by Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez in double figures (11 PTS each).
• Thursday's meeting between the Bruins and Gamecocks would be the fourth since the start of 2022-23.
MATCHUP HISTORY: vs. Duke Blue Devils
• Duke has taken two of the last three meetings between the programs for a 2-1 lead in the all-time series.
• The Bruins and Blue Devils have not faced off since the 2000-01 season; the Bruins dropped the Nov. 10, 2000, meeting 80-52. UCLA's lone victory in the series happened in Durham, N.C., on Dec. 20, 1997 when the Bruins downed Duke, 93-83.
LAST TIME OUT: W, 88-37 vs. Southern U Jaguars (Nov. 23, 2025)
• Following a pregame Final Four ring ceremony and team celebration, UCLA displayed its dominance Sunday in the March Madness rematch against 2025 first-round foe Southern University.
• UCLA held the Jaguars scoreless in the second quarter, marking the first time since Dec. 5, 2021, that the Bruins did not allow a point in a period. UCLA held San Jose State scoreless in the second quarter of that 2021 matchup.
• Graduate forward Angela Dugalić returned to the starting lineup and led all scorers with 20 PTS (8-15 FG, 3-6 3FG); she totaled five rebounds and a block in the win.
• Senior guard Kiki Rice stuffed the stat sheet with 17 PTS (7-11 FG), 8 REB and 5 AST for an efficient night. Senior Lauren Betts added 15 PTS on 6-of-8 shooting and corralled six rebounds in the victory; the reigning national defensive player of the year had three steals and two blocks to anchor the Bruin defensive effort.
• Freshman Lena Bilić scored a career-high 14 points; 12 of those came on long-range splashes (4-9 3FG). The Croatian wing had six rebounds and no turnovers in her 26 minutes on the floor.
BETTS YOU KNOW NOW
• The Bruin center has her name appear on four preseason watch lists: Naismith Player of the Year, Lisa Leslie Center of the Year, Wade Trophy, and the Wooden Award. Betts was also named AP Preseason All-American, Preseason All-Big Ten and the Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year.
• In an anonymous poll taken at B1G Media Day, Betts was voted most likely to win B1G Player of the Year; she received 29 of the 34 votes. Kaylene Smikle of Maryland received three, and Kiyomi McMiller took the remaining two.
• The center has shown marked improvement at the free throw line, shooting 17-of-19 (.895 FT%) through six games.
• The 2025 Lisa Leslie Center of the Year is averaging 2.2 blocks per game and 7.5 rebounds.
• Betts has 22 assists, which ties for second on UCLA's roster. She's had three games this season with 5+ dimes and is scoring a team-high 15.2 points per game.
USA BETTS-KETBALL
• UCLA's Lauren Betts was included in the 18-person training camp roster for the USA Basketball women's senior national team, as announced on Nov. 24. Betts is the only active collegiate player who will make the trip to Durham, N.C., for the Dec. 12-14 camp (USC's JuJu Watkins will attend but will not participate due to her injury from March 2025).
• Betts is one of ten players making their senior national team camp debut; she will be joined by Cameron Brink, Paige Bueckers, Veronica Burton, Sonia Citron, Caitlin Clark, Kiki Iriafen, Rickea Jackson, Angel Reese and JuJu Watkins.
• Natalie Nakase (UCLA '03) will serve as an assistant coach under 2025-28 USA Basketball Women's National Team head coach Kara Lawson. Nakase, the 2025 WNBA Coach of the Year, will also make her USA Basketball debut. The first-year head coach helped the Valkyries become the first-ever expansion franchise to make the playoffs in their inaugural season.
JAQUEZ SOARING IN HER SENIOR YEAR
• Senior Gabriela Jaquez has impressed to start her final season with the blue and gold. She's averaging a career-best 14.0 points per game; the wing has scored in double figures in five of her six games this year.
• She had a perfect game against the USF Bulls on Nov. 15, shooting 7-for-7 from the field and 3-for-3 from the free throw line for a game-high 17 points.
• Jaquez eclipsed 1,000-career points on her first basket against Southern on Nov. 23.
• The Camarillo, Calif., native is in hot pursuit of joining the 50/40/90 club - the wing is shooting a scorching .561/.391/1.000 through six games.
• Jaquez was included in the Cheryl Miller Award preaseason watch list. The Camarillo, Calif., native is pulling down a career-best 7.8 rebounds per game and has a team-high 47 total rebounds on the year.
KNEEP KNEEP! GIANNA COMING THROUGH!
• Graduate transfer Gianna Kneepkens is finding her rhythm with the Bruins, scoring 12.7 points per game for UCLA. She is coming off a 2024-25 campaign at Utah scoring 19.3 points on .504/.448/.890 splits (5.0 RPG, 3.0 APG in '24-25).
• She had back-to-back 20-point games against UC Santa Barbara (Nov. 6) and No. 6 Oklahoma (Nov. 10). She was 4-for-8 from long distance against the Gauchos.
• Over her last six games, Kneepkens has had 22 assists and just five turnovers. She was without a turnover against No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 11 North Carolina; the graduate transfer has had multiple turnovers just once this season (2 vs. SDSU).
RICE GOES WITH EVERYTHING
• UCLA's senior point guard is meshing well after returning from a mid-April shoulder surgery. After coming off the bench for her first game back, she has reclaimed a starting spot for the last five games.
• Rice has scored in double figures in all six games this season and is averaging a career-high 14.0 points per game on .449/.313/.944 splits.
• The guard is aggressively hunting rebounds, averaging a career-high 7.2 boards; she leads UCLA with 36 defensive rebounds. Rice's rebounding numbers took a dip in 2024-25 (3.5 RPG) after a strong 2023-24 campaign (5.7 RPG).
• Rice is one of eight players in UCLA history to have three or more 100-assist seasons; she looks to join Jordin Canada, Nikki Blue, Erica Gomez and Ann Meyers in the elite catagory of Bruins who dimed 100 times or more in all four of their campaigns.
DON'T GET BURNT, SHE'LL LEAVE YOU WITH A CHAR
• Graduate guard Charlisse Leger-Walker returned to the court after sitting out for the 2024-25 season following an ACL tear.
• The point guard leads UCLA with 36 assists, good for a team-high 6.0 assists per game. She's scoring 9.2 points per game and leads the Bruins with their most steals on the year (9 STL, 1.5 SPG).
• The Kiwi is just shy of joining the rest of UCLA's starters in double figures with her 9.2 points per game (.478 FG%).
MS. DUGS-IT-ALL
• Graduate forward Angela Dugalić is averaging career bests in points (11.3 PPG) and rebounds (7.0 RPG) off the bench, making an early case for Sixth Player of the Year.
• She plays 26.7 minutes; Dugalić is shooting .509/.400/.667 on the season. She has eight steals this year.
• The Serbian national team member had 14 points and 13 rebounds against No. 11 UNC (Nov. 13), her fourth-career double-double.
• Dugalić led UCLA in scoring for the first time this season against Southern on Nov. 23; the forward had a game-high 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting (3-6 3FG).
BRUIN BOMBER TRADES BAT FOR BASKETS
• Senior Megan Grant has become a two-sport athlete, signing on to play with women's basketball for the 2024-25 season.
• She scored her first collegiate basketball points after securing an offensive board against No. 11 UNC and putting back a layup in the closing seconds of the game. The bench erupted as the 2-time softball all-American celebrated her first basket.
• Grant was a three-sport star throughout her childhood and at Aragon High School in San Mateo, Calif. where she lettered in softball for four years and women's basketball and volleyball both for three years.
• In 2025, Grant set the Big Ten single-season record for home runs with 26 and ranked top 10 nationally with 81 runs batted in and a .933 slugging percentage. Career-wise, Grant ranks fourth on UCLA's all-time slugging charts (.727) and has totaled 49 home runs and 180 RBIs over 180 games. She has helped the Bruins to back-to-back Women's College World Series appearances, two Pac-12 Conference regular-season titles and a Pac-12 Tournament Championship.
THEY'RE *STILL* FREE
• The Bruins shot a program-best .779 from the free throw line in 2022-23 and has shot .730 or better every season since 2020-21. Currently, the Bruins knock down .825 from the charity stripe with 11.0 makes per game.
• Senior Gabriela Jaquez (11-11 FT) leads the way with an unblemished FT shooting percentage; senior Kiki Rice is 17-of-18 on the year, good for a .944 split from the line.
• Center Lauren Betts is shooting an impressive .895 (17-19 FT) through six games; Betts shot .620 FT% in 2024-25.
The Bruins tip off the inaugural women's event against No. 4-ranked Texas (5-0, 0-0 SEC) at 11 a.m. PT on Wednesday; the game will be broadcast to truTV and HBO Max. UCLA will then face either No. 2-ranked South Carolina (6-0, 0-0 SEC) or Duke (3-3, 0-0 ACC) on Thanksgiving, following Wednesday's results.
Tickets to the Players Era Women's Championship are available here.
GAME 1 INFORMATION: vs. No. 4 Texas Longhorns
Venue: Michelob ULTRA Arena
Location: Las Vegas, Nev.
Tip-off Time: 11 a.m. PT
TV: truTV / HBO Max
TV Talent: JB Long, Candace Parker, Chelsea Sherrod
Radio: UCLA Digital Radio; SiriusXM 162 or 195, and SiriusXM App
Radio Talent: Dave Marcus (UCLA)
GAME 2 INFORMATION: vs. No. 2 South Carolina Gamecocks or Duke Blue Devils
Venue: Michelob ULTRA Arena
Location: Las Vegas, Nev.
Tip-off Time: 5 or 7:30 p.m. PT
TV: truTV / HBO Max
TV Talent: JB Long, Candace Parker, Chelsea Sherrod
Radio: UCLA Digital Radio; SiriusXM App
Radio Talent: Dave Marcus (UCLA)
MATCHUP HISTORY: vs. Texas Longhorns
• UCLA and Texas are tied in the all-time series at 7-7. The Longhorns took the last meeting, 71-62, in the 2021 NCAA tournament. The Bruins are 2-3 against Texas under head coach Cori Close.
• The last three meetings between the programs have been at neutral sites in the NCAA tournament (2021, 2018, 2016).
MATCHUP HISTORY: vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
• South Carolina leads the all-time matchup 4-2, but UCLA holds a one-game win streak over the Gamecocks.
• UCLA captured its first non-forfeiture victory over South Carolina on Nov. 24, 2024, in front of a record-setting crowd in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. The Bruins knocked off then-No. 1 South Carolina, 77-62, in front of a sold-out audience; Lauren Betts led the way with 11 PTS, 14 REB, 4 AST and 4 BLK, and was joined by Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez in double figures (11 PTS each).
• Thursday's meeting between the Bruins and Gamecocks would be the fourth since the start of 2022-23.
MATCHUP HISTORY: vs. Duke Blue Devils
• Duke has taken two of the last three meetings between the programs for a 2-1 lead in the all-time series.
• The Bruins and Blue Devils have not faced off since the 2000-01 season; the Bruins dropped the Nov. 10, 2000, meeting 80-52. UCLA's lone victory in the series happened in Durham, N.C., on Dec. 20, 1997 when the Bruins downed Duke, 93-83.
LAST TIME OUT: W, 88-37 vs. Southern U Jaguars (Nov. 23, 2025)
• Following a pregame Final Four ring ceremony and team celebration, UCLA displayed its dominance Sunday in the March Madness rematch against 2025 first-round foe Southern University.
• UCLA held the Jaguars scoreless in the second quarter, marking the first time since Dec. 5, 2021, that the Bruins did not allow a point in a period. UCLA held San Jose State scoreless in the second quarter of that 2021 matchup.
• Graduate forward Angela Dugalić returned to the starting lineup and led all scorers with 20 PTS (8-15 FG, 3-6 3FG); she totaled five rebounds and a block in the win.
• Senior guard Kiki Rice stuffed the stat sheet with 17 PTS (7-11 FG), 8 REB and 5 AST for an efficient night. Senior Lauren Betts added 15 PTS on 6-of-8 shooting and corralled six rebounds in the victory; the reigning national defensive player of the year had three steals and two blocks to anchor the Bruin defensive effort.
• Freshman Lena Bilić scored a career-high 14 points; 12 of those came on long-range splashes (4-9 3FG). The Croatian wing had six rebounds and no turnovers in her 26 minutes on the floor.
BETTS YOU KNOW NOW
• The Bruin center has her name appear on four preseason watch lists: Naismith Player of the Year, Lisa Leslie Center of the Year, Wade Trophy, and the Wooden Award. Betts was also named AP Preseason All-American, Preseason All-Big Ten and the Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year.
• In an anonymous poll taken at B1G Media Day, Betts was voted most likely to win B1G Player of the Year; she received 29 of the 34 votes. Kaylene Smikle of Maryland received three, and Kiyomi McMiller took the remaining two.
• The center has shown marked improvement at the free throw line, shooting 17-of-19 (.895 FT%) through six games.
• The 2025 Lisa Leslie Center of the Year is averaging 2.2 blocks per game and 7.5 rebounds.
• Betts has 22 assists, which ties for second on UCLA's roster. She's had three games this season with 5+ dimes and is scoring a team-high 15.2 points per game.
USA BETTS-KETBALL
• UCLA's Lauren Betts was included in the 18-person training camp roster for the USA Basketball women's senior national team, as announced on Nov. 24. Betts is the only active collegiate player who will make the trip to Durham, N.C., for the Dec. 12-14 camp (USC's JuJu Watkins will attend but will not participate due to her injury from March 2025).
• Betts is one of ten players making their senior national team camp debut; she will be joined by Cameron Brink, Paige Bueckers, Veronica Burton, Sonia Citron, Caitlin Clark, Kiki Iriafen, Rickea Jackson, Angel Reese and JuJu Watkins.
• Natalie Nakase (UCLA '03) will serve as an assistant coach under 2025-28 USA Basketball Women's National Team head coach Kara Lawson. Nakase, the 2025 WNBA Coach of the Year, will also make her USA Basketball debut. The first-year head coach helped the Valkyries become the first-ever expansion franchise to make the playoffs in their inaugural season.
JAQUEZ SOARING IN HER SENIOR YEAR
• Senior Gabriela Jaquez has impressed to start her final season with the blue and gold. She's averaging a career-best 14.0 points per game; the wing has scored in double figures in five of her six games this year.
• She had a perfect game against the USF Bulls on Nov. 15, shooting 7-for-7 from the field and 3-for-3 from the free throw line for a game-high 17 points.
• Jaquez eclipsed 1,000-career points on her first basket against Southern on Nov. 23.
• The Camarillo, Calif., native is in hot pursuit of joining the 50/40/90 club - the wing is shooting a scorching .561/.391/1.000 through six games.
• Jaquez was included in the Cheryl Miller Award preaseason watch list. The Camarillo, Calif., native is pulling down a career-best 7.8 rebounds per game and has a team-high 47 total rebounds on the year.
KNEEP KNEEP! GIANNA COMING THROUGH!
• Graduate transfer Gianna Kneepkens is finding her rhythm with the Bruins, scoring 12.7 points per game for UCLA. She is coming off a 2024-25 campaign at Utah scoring 19.3 points on .504/.448/.890 splits (5.0 RPG, 3.0 APG in '24-25).
• She had back-to-back 20-point games against UC Santa Barbara (Nov. 6) and No. 6 Oklahoma (Nov. 10). She was 4-for-8 from long distance against the Gauchos.
• Over her last six games, Kneepkens has had 22 assists and just five turnovers. She was without a turnover against No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 11 North Carolina; the graduate transfer has had multiple turnovers just once this season (2 vs. SDSU).
RICE GOES WITH EVERYTHING
• UCLA's senior point guard is meshing well after returning from a mid-April shoulder surgery. After coming off the bench for her first game back, she has reclaimed a starting spot for the last five games.
• Rice has scored in double figures in all six games this season and is averaging a career-high 14.0 points per game on .449/.313/.944 splits.
• The guard is aggressively hunting rebounds, averaging a career-high 7.2 boards; she leads UCLA with 36 defensive rebounds. Rice's rebounding numbers took a dip in 2024-25 (3.5 RPG) after a strong 2023-24 campaign (5.7 RPG).
• Rice is one of eight players in UCLA history to have three or more 100-assist seasons; she looks to join Jordin Canada, Nikki Blue, Erica Gomez and Ann Meyers in the elite catagory of Bruins who dimed 100 times or more in all four of their campaigns.
DON'T GET BURNT, SHE'LL LEAVE YOU WITH A CHAR
• Graduate guard Charlisse Leger-Walker returned to the court after sitting out for the 2024-25 season following an ACL tear.
• The point guard leads UCLA with 36 assists, good for a team-high 6.0 assists per game. She's scoring 9.2 points per game and leads the Bruins with their most steals on the year (9 STL, 1.5 SPG).
• The Kiwi is just shy of joining the rest of UCLA's starters in double figures with her 9.2 points per game (.478 FG%).
MS. DUGS-IT-ALL
• Graduate forward Angela Dugalić is averaging career bests in points (11.3 PPG) and rebounds (7.0 RPG) off the bench, making an early case for Sixth Player of the Year.
• She plays 26.7 minutes; Dugalić is shooting .509/.400/.667 on the season. She has eight steals this year.
• The Serbian national team member had 14 points and 13 rebounds against No. 11 UNC (Nov. 13), her fourth-career double-double.
• Dugalić led UCLA in scoring for the first time this season against Southern on Nov. 23; the forward had a game-high 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting (3-6 3FG).
BRUIN BOMBER TRADES BAT FOR BASKETS
• Senior Megan Grant has become a two-sport athlete, signing on to play with women's basketball for the 2024-25 season.
• She scored her first collegiate basketball points after securing an offensive board against No. 11 UNC and putting back a layup in the closing seconds of the game. The bench erupted as the 2-time softball all-American celebrated her first basket.
• Grant was a three-sport star throughout her childhood and at Aragon High School in San Mateo, Calif. where she lettered in softball for four years and women's basketball and volleyball both for three years.
• In 2025, Grant set the Big Ten single-season record for home runs with 26 and ranked top 10 nationally with 81 runs batted in and a .933 slugging percentage. Career-wise, Grant ranks fourth on UCLA's all-time slugging charts (.727) and has totaled 49 home runs and 180 RBIs over 180 games. She has helped the Bruins to back-to-back Women's College World Series appearances, two Pac-12 Conference regular-season titles and a Pac-12 Tournament Championship.
THEY'RE *STILL* FREE
• The Bruins shot a program-best .779 from the free throw line in 2022-23 and has shot .730 or better every season since 2020-21. Currently, the Bruins knock down .825 from the charity stripe with 11.0 makes per game.
• Senior Gabriela Jaquez (11-11 FT) leads the way with an unblemished FT shooting percentage; senior Kiki Rice is 17-of-18 on the year, good for a .944 split from the line.
• Center Lauren Betts is shooting an impressive .895 (17-19 FT) through six games; Betts shot .620 FT% in 2024-25.
Players Mentioned
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