By Cort Street | @cort_street
Sports Capital Journalism
INDIANAPOLIS – It was the timeless story of the power of three.
In a venue located in the heart of midwestern basketball, in an era defined by its willingness to embrace the unfamiliar, the UCLA Bruins emerged triumphant at the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, showcasing a resilience and tenacity that turned the tables on what had become one of the season’s most familiar storylines.
“[I’m] thankful and humbled to watch them persevere, to grow, to find ways to win, to be committed to selflessness,” said Bruins’ head coach Cori Close. “Just so grateful.”
The third matchup of the 2024-2025 season between the No. 2 USC Trojans and the No. 4 Bruins brought the same level of fireworks and pageantry as the previous two, but it was the final result that would ultimately leave the crowd of 8,358 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse with an undeniable feeling of awe and inspiration. Lauren Betts led her team with 17 points, Kiki Rice added 13 points and eight rebounds, and the Bruins used an electric late comeback to take down the Trojans 72-67 and bask in the falling confetti at center court as the unquestioned 2025 Big Ten Champions.
“We put in a lot of work all preseason, and we had the confidence that we were going to win this tournament, and no one was going to deny us from that,” said Betts, who was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. “I think that the work that was done in the dark just showed today.”
UCLA’s path to victory was in no way straightforward. The Bruins (30-2), who surpassed the 1980-1981 UCLA women’s basketball team with their school-record 30th win of the season, struggled to get their star center Betts involved early. Betts, who finished the game with four blocks and four steals, entered the contest averaging 19.7 points and 9.9 rebounds a game but managed just four points and two rebounds in the first half. With her impact greatly diminished, the Trojans (28-3), who were playing in their second straight conference championship game, took advantage in the paint. They outrebounded the Bruins 23-9 and gathered 12 of their 20 offensive rebounds in the first half. Watkins, who scored 38 and 30 points, respectively, in the teams’ first two meetings, scored 18 of her 29 points in the first half and built a 10-point halftime cushion for the Trojans by taking advantage of the team’s massive gap in second and third-chance scoring opportunities.
“We weren’t our most efficient tonight at any realm of it, but [Watkins’] impact on winning and her heart and her competitive spirit is something else,” Trojans’ head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said of her star guard. “Her excellence is on display, and it’s got its handprints over everything we’ve done and will continue to do.”
Close highlighted the locker room mindset of the Bruins’ team that provided the spark for their comeback from a 13-point, second-half deficit.
“I really wondered what their eyes were going to look like when I went into the locker room at halftime, and they were poised and determined,” said Close. “They knew they had not played their best, and they didn’t do the things we needed to do, but they still believed they could turn it.”
As the second half got underway and the deficit grew to 13, the Bruins quickly went to work. UCLA, having rested a majority of its starters during a blowout win against the Nebraska Cornhuskers a day before, reached a new level of energy in the second half and used a stifling defense to silence one of the most high-powered offenses in the nation. After an efficient first-half performance, Watkins struggled in the second half, going 4-of-15 from the field while turning the ball over five times. A nearly seven-minute scoreless streak that began near the end of the third quarter allowed UCLA to take its first lead of the half with 8:30 to play, and the Bruins would never relinquish their lead thereafter.
“We came out with the right energy [in the second half],” said Watkins. “I just don’t think our shots were falling, and we tried to get it back, but we couldn’t.”
The Trojans are now forced to turn their attention to the NCAA Tournament with a much more pensive attitude than they had hoped.
“We’ve done a lot of celebrating this year, and so when it’s not our turn and someone else has the confetti, we’re always going to do it the right way and take our pain and our disappointment and channel that into getting better,” said Gottlieb. “…The two losses that we’ve had prior to this, I thought our team responded and really bounced forward, and that’s what we’ll do heading into the NCAA Tournament.”
For the Bruins, who won their first conference title since their Pac-10 Championship win in 2006, Close believes the win gives the team a much-needed dose of confidence heading into what could be a special March Madness run.
“As good as we’ve been, we’re not as confident as you would think,” said Close. “I think they earned some more confidence tonight. I think you want your team hungry and edgy going into the NCAA Tournament, but also really confident. I think our team earned some confidence tonight, and I think that’s going to go a long way.”
With her sights set on the NCAA Tournament, Close believes there is a chance her team has not seen the last of the Trojans.
“I remember the very first time we played at their place, Lindsay said, ‘I’m really hoping we’re going to get to do this four times,’” Close said. “I think that it would mean a lot for us to both be No. 1 seeds. I think that you have to prove yourself, right? Your play has to back that up, and I hope we do get a chance to do it in Tampa for a fourth time.”
