UCLA women face season-defining Michigan test with Big Ten control at stake

UCLA and Michigan will meet this weekend with a lot at stake. UCLA can take a good lead in the battle for the Big Ten regular season title. Or Michigan could take over first place due to a tiebreaker with a win over the Bruins. UCLA is 12-0 in conference play and Michigan is 11-1. This is a big-time top 10 matchup with the NCAA tournament getting closer and closer as you stay goes by. UCLA sits at No. 2 in the country and has played very good basketball against ranked opponents. Michigan is No. 8 in the country and has an impressive track record themselves.

UCLA is built to win now. They have a starting lineup that could all be drafted in the first round of the 2026 WNBA Draft. A Final Four run is no longer good enough for this team. It is either championship or bust for the women. They brought in Gianna Kneepkens to be that extra piece to get them by UCONN if they cross paths. She has been the perfect addition in spacing the floor and playing good defense. These are the games that she can be the difference maker in.

UCLA is led by their star center Lauren Betts who can control the game on both offense and defense. With senior duo of Gabriela Jaquez and Kiki Rice having special seasons as well. The Bruins can rely on their starters to carry a lot of the load. As Charlisse Leger-Walker has also slid in as a player who makes the right plays and operates smartly. They have a great defense that plays with good chemistry and talk well with each other. It has led to them winning games with ease and taking teams best players out of games.

UCLA’s number one goal will be to stop Olivia Olson. She has been on a tear recently with four straight 20+ point games. She is not a great 3-point shooter so the women will need to push her out as far as possible. Mila Holloway can score, rebound and pass and is an important component for the Wolverines. While on the defensive end, Brooke Quarles Daniels is an excellent defender and has 2.3 steals per game. UCLA will need to play mistake free basketball and walk away with the win. Fully taking control of the Big Ten.