University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
31-1,18-0Big Ten
Iowa
26-6,15-3Big Ten
Women’s Basketball Repeats as Big Ten Tournament Champions
March 08, 2026 | Women's Basketball
Senior Kiki Rice was named Most Outstanding Player after totaling 15 points, eight assists and three steals in the championship victory. Senior Lauren Betts joined her on the all-tournament team.
Six Bruins got into double figures in the blowout victory, including all five starters. Graduate guard Gianna Kneepkens led all scorers with 19, cashing in four of her eight 2-point attempts. Freshman Sienna Betts shot 7-for-8 from the field for a season-high 14 points. She had seven boards and five assists to provide a spark off the bench.
UCLA (31-1) outrebounded Iowa, 37-31, in the win and set new Big Ten tournament single-game records for field goal percentage (40-63, 63.5%) and assists (34) while running its unbeaten streak to 25 consecutive games.
The Bruin beatdown of the Hawkeyes (26-6) started after Iowa scored first.
Rice got the first two scores for the Bruins; she first navigated around Lauren Betts to get a long two-pointer to fall, then got out in transition to get a lefty layup. Jaquez scored at the rim after a high pickup. Rice dropped in a three for seven of UCLA's first nine points. She assisted on a Lauren Betts layup in transition, forcing Iowa to call its first timeout of the afternoon.
Kiki Rice splash ?? @UCLAWBB
— Big Ten Women's Basketball (@B1Gwbball) March 8, 2026
??: CBS pic.twitter.com/L1AVlxM5zv
Sienna Betts checked in after the break and got on the scoreboard shortly thereafter. She cut to get an open look at the rim before posting up for UCLA's second-consecutive bucket and four-straight points. Sienna Betts was far from done, hitting a spin move and step-through to get to the rim. Charlisse Leger-Walker was left open for three on the next trip down and nailed it. Sienna Betts knocked down a jumper to cap a 22-2 run; the Bruins led 22-5 after the first.
The Bruins missed a pair of shots in the first but got back in the scoring column with a transition layup by Angela Dugalic assisted by Rice. The point guard took her turn next and got downhill for a layup. Iowa called another early timeout, sending the game to the television break two and a half minutes into the second period.
Kneepkens got her first points of the game with a three after Iowa's zone defense left her open. The graduate guard came down on the next possession and hit Leger-Walker for three. The New Zealand native kept her foot on the gas, getting a free throw line jumper to fall after using Amanda Muse for the screen. Jaquez wanted in on the long distance fun; the senior relocated after feeding Lauren Betts in the paint and cashed a three from the right wing to put UCLA up 23.
Back-2?-back 3?s have the Bruins up B1G! ??????
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) March 8, 2026
??: CBS#GoBruins | @giannakneepkens x @Char_legerwalks pic.twitter.com/XziozovZBE
Sienna Betts assisted her older sister in a high-low action. Kneepkens got another three to fall for UCLA's final score of the quarter.
UCLA led 42-20 at the break.
The Bruins kept the pressure high after the intermission. Lauren Betts got a look at the rim on the first possession out of halftime and dropped in a layup. Kneepkens was then fouled on a three and made all of her attempts. The Bruin center came up with a steal and flipped it to Leger-Walker who kicked it ahead to Kneepkens in transition. The graduate transfer went reverse on the layup to cap a 7-0 run out of the gate. After fouling a Hawkeye and giving up an and-one, UCLA got it back two-fold with consecutive triples by Jaquez and Kneepkens.
Iowa called timeout with 7:51 on the clock; the Bruins led by 32 at the media break.
YUCK ??????
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) March 8, 2026
??: CBS#GoBruins | @giannakneepkens pic.twitter.com/ZAIwqrEeI3
Lauren Betts ended a two-minute scoring drought after the timeout with an elbow jumper. After grabbing a defensive board, Leger-Walker took it coast-to-coast and drew two defenders before throwing an overhead pass to Jaquez for an easy two.
Leger-Walker got into double figures in the third, swirling in a triple from the top of the key behind a Sienna Betts screen. Freshman Lena Bilic got in the scorer's column after splashing a three from the top of the arc; Leger-Walker was credited with the assist. Lauren Betts had the final look of the third, fading away and putting UCLA up 31 going into the final frame.
Bilic made her way into the corner on UCLA's first possession of the fourth, cashing a three from the Jaquez assist. Rice joined four of her teammates in double figures after stealing it at half court and making her way to the rim for a free two. Dugalic stayed active on the boards, corralling an offensive rebound off a Rice miss. The graduate forward put it back for her second basket of the championship game.
Kneepkens remained patient after a Hawkeye closed out; the guard put the ball on the floor and got past her defender for a short-corner jumper. Rice added to her total with consecutive layups on the break; her second came off a circus pass from Dugalic to double up Iowa, 82-41 (4:27, 4Q). Kneepkens dropped in another three to force an Iowa timeout and the final media break of the game.
What a pass ???? @UCLAWBB
— Big Ten Women's Basketball (@B1Gwbball) March 8, 2026
??: CBS pic.twitter.com/iN69VV0r8T
Dugalic got a three to fall before Sienna Betts decided to score twice more. Amanda Muse got a late layup for her first basket on her first attempt of the day, closing out the victory.
