No. 2 Bruins Down Huskies, 82-67

Thursday, February 19

Los Angeles, Calif.

7 p.m. PT

UCLA

26-1,16-0Big Ten

Washington

19-8,9-7Big Ten

Washington

UCLA

Photo by: Caren Nicdao

No. 2 Bruins Down Huskies, 82-67

February 19, 2026 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Press Conference

LOS ANGELES - No. 2-ranked UCLA (26-1, 16-0 B1G) continued its home court dominance with an 82-67 point victory against Washington (19-8, 9-7 B1G).

UCLA's 16 Bigt Ten victories match the most wins in a single conference season for the team since 2010-11. With tonight's victory, UCLA clinched a share of the conference title, its first time clinching since being co-champions with Oregon in 1998-99. The Bruins can win the title outright with a win on Sunday versus Wisconsin.

Five Bruins scored in double figures: Lauren Betts (23), Kneepkens (17), Rice (13), Jaquez (10), and Dugalić (10). Betts also added eight rebounds and two blocks, while Kneepkens, Jaquez, and graduate student Charlisse Leger-Walker each added two steals.

After letting Washington get the first bucket, the Bruins made sure to quickly take the lead. On the Bruins' second possession of the game, Lauren Betts completed a turnaround jumper over the double team with a backboard finish off a pass from Jaquez. On the other side of the ball, Lauren Betts earned her first block of the game, resulting in a Huskies' 24-second shot violation. Rice cashed a pair of free throws, then Leger-Walker grabbed a steal on the other side, with Rice finding Lauren Betts in the hole to finish a contested layup over a defender.

After graduate student Angela Dugalić hit two free throws, the Bruins defense forced an inbound violation to earn the ball back. Immediately after, Rice hit the three out the Washington turnover to push the lead to 11-4. Minutes later, Kneepkens showed her handling skills, crossing over a defender and finishing a shot outside the free-throw line. At the 2:17 mark, Lauren Betts added to her score, delivering a one-handed finish over a defender to give the Bruins a 17-12 advantage. Following her sister's lead, freshman Sienna Betts finished inside the hole for two more, giving Leger-Walker back-to-back assists. Continuing strong defense, Jaquez hit the strip block to prevent an easy Washington layup. Seconds later, Kneepkens earned the steal, adding to the Bruins' defensive performance. UCLA closed the quarter with Kneepkens hitting a three at the top of the key as time expired, giving them the 22-12 lead into the second quarter.

Lauren Betts led the game with six points and one rebound to close out the first. Kneepkens and Rice both followed with five points of their own. Dugalić went a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line to add four more points to the Bruins total.

Send the double, it don't matter! ?????

??: @BigTenNetwork #GoBruins | @laurenbetts12 pic.twitter.com/mtWcx2XEUJ
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) February 20, 2026

Lauren Betts started the second with pure domination once again, going on a solo 6-2 run that began with a made jump shot off the double team. The next possession, she continued impacting the game, with Kneepkens grabbing an offensive rebound, faking a shot, only to find Lauren Betts wide open for the easy two. Feeling the rhythm, Lauren Betts hit another jumper off a Rice dime, increasing the lead to 14. Wanting a piece of the action, Dugalić grabbed her own offensive rebound and hit the second-chance bank shot.

Moving inside the seven-minute mark in the quarter, Sienna Betts earned her first block of the half. Jaquez later answered a Huskies three, scoring an easy layup off a Leger-Walker find. Sienna Betts found Dugalić on the next possession, passing it to her in the hole for two points while forcing the timeout. Out of the timeout, Jaquez excelled on both sides of the ball, snagging a steal on defense while hitting a spin move before finishing the hook shot from distance on offense. Sienna Betts stood firm for the Bruins, grabbing an offensive rebound on the next possession, then taking a dribble around her defender to complete the left-handed finish.

With 1:18 left in the half, Leger-Walker drove into the paint from outside the key, euro-stepping down the basket to push the lead to 40-25. Lauren Betts returned to the action, grabbing another offensive rebound and finishing the layup to give her 14 points. On the Huskies' last drive of the quarter, UCLA's defensive pressure forced Washington to step out of bounds, effectively ending the half at 42-29.

Lauren Betts finished the first half with a game-high 14 points, followed by Dugalić, who recorded eight of her own. The Bruins shot 50 percent from the field and a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line, while leading in blocks 3-0 and steals 5-4 over Washington.

Sienna showing some fight for the strong putback! ????

??: @BigTenNetwork #GoBruins | @SiennaBetts pic.twitter.com/1XJfDZDsJS
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) February 20, 2026

UCLA started the second half with impressive defense, forcing the Huskies into a 24-second violation on their first possession. With the ball in their hand, UCLA scored on three-straight possessions, highlighted by a Leger-Walker steal that found its way to Lauren Betts off the fast break and forced a Washington timeout. A minute later, Lauren Betts took on a one-on-one battle in the paint, earning her 20th point. After missing the initial three, Leger-Walker was granted a second chance two from an offensive rebound by Lauren Betts, this time prevailing.

On defense, Lauren Betts blocked a Huskies shot, translating into a completed 3-pointer by Kneepkens off a dime from Rice. Feeling the energy, Leger-Walker jumped inside the paint for the offensive rebound before finding Kneepkens at the top of the key, who stepped inside the arc before hitting the floater from distance. Kneepkens crossed around a defender, hitting the off-balance, fadeaway jumper for two more points. Not just an offensive threat, Kneepkens then showed excellent defense, pressuring her player and forcing the offensive foul at the 1:54 mark. After Jaquez converted two free throws, the Bruins played full-court defense, with Kiki Rice earning a steal and a foul, later hitting two more free throws.

The Bruins finished the third with a 63-48 point lead.

The aft3?r party is more fun ????

??: @BigTenNetwork #GoBruins | @laurenbetts12 x @giannakneepkens pic.twitter.com/lpzX2JKZ7C
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) February 20, 2026

UCLA again scored on its first possession to start the fourth, with Leger-Walker finding Kneepkens across the court for an outside 3-pointer. Kneepkens followed this effort with a steal on defense before Dugalić found Jaquez in the paint to finish a shot over two defenders.

Rice and Lauren Betts scored back-to-back baskets, with Rice driving down the court off a defensive rebound for a left-handed bucket and Lauren Betts finishing a one-on-one with ease. Driving down the basket, Kneepkens got the roll on the rim to convert off a contested layup from a Leger-Walker feed. Jaquez brought her impact, hitting a left-handed reverse finish off a Kneepkens pass. Rice concluded with a field goal for the Bruins, making a skillful cut to the basket so double-teamed Lauren Betts could find her under the net for the layup.

G2G! ??

Gabs gets the reverse off the Gianna dime!

??: @BigTenNetwork #GoBruins | @giannakneepkens x @gabrielarj11 pic.twitter.com/NY2CAyVQ6S
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) February 20, 2026

UCLA led Washington in field goal percentage (53-44), rebounds (37-20), second-chance points (21-2), blocks (4-0), and assists (24-17).

UP NEXT: vs. Wisconsin (Feb. 22)
The Bruins play their final home of the regular season against Wisconsin at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial on Sunday, Feb. 22. Sunday will be UCLA's senior night, celebrating the decorated careers of the graduating Bruins.

Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on Peacock.