UCLA has been one of the most impressive teams in all of women's college basketball this season. Cori Close has the best team of her 14-year tenure as the head coach of the Bruins, and the program may finally get over the hump and make their first Final Four this season.
Center Lauren Betts has led the charge this year, averaging a ridiculous 19.6 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.9 blocks and 2.8 assists per game. She will certainly be in the running for the National Player of the Year Award, but she also has six other teammates who average seven points or more for the Bruins.
This team is as well-rounded as they come, and they are playing their best basketball at the right time. After suffering their only two losses of the season at the hands of their bitter rivals, the USC Trojans, UCLA avenged the losses by defeating them in the Big Ten Championship Game last week.
However, the road to the Final Four is never easy, and this year is no exception. Region 1 is loaded with several talented teams that could cause chaos for the UCLA Bruins after their first-round matchup with UC San Diego.
3 teams that could cause chaos in UCLA's March Madness region
The LSU Tigers are a nightmare in March, as they won the National Championship in 2023 and made a deep run to the Elite 8 last year as well. Kim Mulkey and her squad are up to their usual tricks this year, finishing with a 28-5 overall record, including an impressive 12-4 mark in a loaded SEC.
They are led by a three-headed monster of Aneesah Morrow, Flau'jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams, all of whom are averaging over 17 points per contest. Johnson is one of the most dangerous players in the NCAA Tournament, as her postseason experience and team-leading 18.9 points per game could be enough to pull off an upset.
The Ole Miss Rebels are playing their best basketball at the right time. In the final weeks of the season, the team took down No. 8 Kentucky and No. 7 LSU, and also battled with SEC co-champions South Carolina and Texas. They finished with a 10-6 record in the SEC, which was by far the best conference in college basketball this season.
They are a well-rounded team coached by Yolett McPhee-McCuin, as they have five players averaging between 9.5 and 12 points per game, as well as two more averaging just under seven. They competed with both USC and UConn early in the season, so it stands to reason that this team could compete with UCLA. They've proven they can beat almost anyone in the country, and the Bruins may have a tough matchup with them in the Sweet 16.
Florida State, much like LSU, has a star trio on their roster that is difficult to contain. Not only do they have the country's leading scorer, Ta'Niya Latson, scoring 24.9 points per contest, but they've also got a double-double machine in Makayla Timpson and a 16.2 points-per-game scorer in O'Mariah Gordon.
The Seminoles went 23-8 this year and had a 13-5 conference record in a stingy ACC. They took down North Carolina earlier in the season and enjoyed back-to-back wins against nationally ranked Georgia Tech and Notre Dame in the final week of the season. They are coming off two straight losses heading into the tournament, but that should only serve as motivation for Florida State under head coach Brooke Wyckoff. Look for them to potentially spoil the Bruins' season in the Elite 8, if they can get there.