UCLA women's basketball repeats as Big Ten Tournament champion

UCLA defeated Iowa 96-45 to win the Big Ten Tournament for a second straight year, improving to 31-1 and extending a 25-game winning streak.

UCLA defeated Iowa 96-45 in the Big Ten Tournament final in Indianapolis to capture the conference title for a second consecutive year. The top-seeded Bruins under coach Cori Close opened the game with strong defense and pulled away early. The victory came during a season in which UCLA stood 31-1 and extended a program-record 25-game winning streak. The result also figures into NCAA Tournament seeding conversations for the Bruins. Game details: - Final score: UCLA 96, Iowa 45. - UCLA made 13 of 26 three-pointers; Gianna Kneepkens scored 19 points and hit four of eight 3s. - Freshman Sienna Betts had 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists and gave an early spark off the bench. - UCLA opened with a 22-5 first-quarter lead and recorded five steals and three blocks in that period. - UCLA became the first Big Ten team to win the tournament in back-to-back seasons since Iowa (2022-24) and the first to go unbeaten through the Big Ten regular season and win the tournament since Maryland in 2014-15. Summary: The victory reinforced UCLA's standing as the leading team in the Big Ten and extended its long winning streak. The article reports UCLA is expected to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will host the first two rounds at Pauley Pavilion.