Women’s College Basketball Power Rankings: Could UCLA make the Final Four?

Women’s College Basketball Power Rankings: Could UCLA make the Final Four?


The UCLA Bruins are somewhere they’ve by no means been earlier than this season — and we don’t simply cruel their club within the Bulky Ten. They’re 20-0 for the primary generation in program historical past, and that is their tenth moment atop ESPN’s girls’s school basketball Energy Scores. They’re the one unbeaten group left in Category I girls’s or males’s hoops.

The Bruins are one contest clear of alike their program’s longest successful streak; they’d 21 consecutive victories in 1977-78, once they gained the AIAW nationwide championship and completed 27-3.

UCLA hasn’t ever been to the ladies’s Ultimate 4 within the NCAA event, which started with the 1981-82 season. However the way in which the Bruins had been enjoying in 2024-25, they seem to have a just right prospect to finish the season in Tampa.

UCLA gained its season opener 66-59 over Louisville on the Aflac Oui-Play games doubleheader Nov. 4 in Paris. Since, the Bruins have gained all 19 video games by way of double digits, any other program-best streak. What’s running? The whole thing. UCLA ranks first in Category I in rebounding margin (16.3), 3rd in garden objective proportion protection (33.5), fourth in assists in line with contest (21.2) and 5th in garden objective proportion (49.54).

Yongster middle Lauren Betts, a candidate for Nationwide Participant of the Age, averages 21.0 issues, 9.9 rebounds and three.0 blocks. Like Disagree. 2 South Carolina, which suffered its simplest loss this season to UCLA, the Bruins’ intensity is considered one of their strengths. Guards Kiki Rice (13.1 PPG) and Gabriela Jaquez (10.2) tied Betts averaging in double figures, life 5 gamers moderate between 8.7-6.2 PPG.

UCLA is coming off an 82-67 victory at Maryland on Sunday wherein Betts had a career-high 33 issues on 14 of 15 capturing, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and four blocks.

In UCLA’s date 4 victories, Betts totaled 104 issues, 25 blocks and shot 72% from the garden. In keeping with ESPN Analysis, she is the one D-I girls’s participant with 100/25/70% in a four-game span over the date 25 seasons.

3 of the ones victories had been at the East Coast. Now, for just about the nearest week, the Bruins can keep in Pacific generation, with 4 video games at house, one crosstown at USC and one at Oregon.

UCLA has only one contest all through a stream nine-day stretch. The Bruins have generation to remains and paintings in observe. They’re able to tackle February and past.

Earlier score: 1

The Bruins adopted their victory over Baylor on the Coretta Scott King Vintage in Newark, Unutilized Jersey, on Jan. 20 with wins at Rutgers and Maryland. Rice has crash double figures in scoring in all however one contest since Nov. 30, and she or he additionally had two 10-assist video games in January.

Then seven days: vs. Minnesota (Feb. 2)


Earlier score: 2

The Gamecocks simply completed a stretch of defeating 5 ranked groups in a row, together with LSU and Tennessee maximum just lately. Joyce Edwards led South Carolina in issues scored in 4 of the 5 video games. It’s now not too early to begin fascinated about how a laugh her matchup with fellow freshman Sarah Strong of UConn can be when the groups meet Feb. 16.

Then seven days: vs. Auburn (Feb. 2)


Earlier score: 3

The Irish cruised date Boston College with barricade Hannah Hidalgo scoring 23 issues. The nearest any ACC foe has come to the Irish is Clemson on Jan. 12. The Tigers misplaced by way of 9, however Hidalgo overlooked that contest with an ankle harm. Most likely the 2 then highway video games may just problem Notre Dame.

Then seven days: @ Virginia Tech (Jan. 30), @ Louisville (Feb. 2)


Earlier score: 4

The Trojans adopted considered one of their nearer video games — a seven-point win at Indiana on Jan. 19 — with a 79-37 blowout of Purdue ultimate Wednesday. That contest integrated a 31-0 run by way of USC. For simply the second one generation this season, JuJu Watkins (16 issues) didn’t manage the Trojans in scoring. Freshman Avery Howell did, with 18. Two ultimate scorers can be in Carver-Hawkeye Enviornment this Sunday when USC visits: Watkins and Caitlin Clark, whose jersey is being retired by way of Iowa.

Then seven days: vs. Minnesota (Jan. 30), @ Iowa (Feb. 2)


Earlier score: 5

The Tigers misplaced their first contest of this season — and seventeenth in a row to South Carolina — ultimate Friday. The sport used to be not on time a hour by way of malicious climate, however the result used to be the similar as it’s been the date decade-plus. In entrance of a noisy and vigorous house nation, the Gamecocks restricted LSU to 8 issues in the second one quarter and gained 66-56. The Tigers bounced again from that by way of beating Texas A&M on Sunday at the back of Flau’Jae Johnson’s 22 issues, 5 rebounds and four steals.

Then seven days: vs. Oklahoma (Jan. 30), vs. Mississippi Climate (Feb. 2)


Earlier score: 6

The Huskies clobbered Villanova for the second one generation this season — this one used to be 100-57 — however nearest had an untouched semi-close contest at Creighton earlier than usual 72-61. Sarah Strong had a mixed 48 issues, 16 rebounds, 8 assists, 7 steals and 5 blocks regardless of enjoying simply 22 and 26 mins within the two video games.

Then seven days: @ DePaul (Jan. 29), vs. Butler (Feb. 2)


Earlier score: 7

The Longhorns had two weighty battles ultimate moment and got here out on height each instances. They beat Tennessee 80-76 at the back of Madison Booker‘s 26 issues, nearest hung on 61-58 at Ole Miss at the back of 24 issues from Taylor Jones. Texas is a part of a three-way fix with LSU and Kentucky at the back of South Carolina within the SEC. The ones might be the height 4 seeds on the SEC event, however we’ll see how the nearest week is going.

Then seven days: vs. Missouri (Jan. 30), at Texas A&M (Feb. 2)


Earlier score: 12

The Buckeyes have roughly been on a yo-yo just lately in Energy Scores, falling out of the height 10 ultimate moment later a stunning loss at Penn Climate, nearest leaping again in later victories over Maryland and Nebraska. Freshman Jaloni Cambridge, who overlooked the Penn Climate contest with an harm, returned with 20 issues and eight rebounds in opposition to the Terps. Senior Taylor Thierry led the way in which with 23 issues in opposition to the Huskers.

Then seven days: vs. Washington (Feb. 2)


Earlier score: 14

The largest Energy Scores bounce of the moment belongs to the Blue Devils, who moved up 5 spots. A part of that’s the victories they were given at SMU and Georgia Tech. Every other section is losses by way of some alternative groups helped assemble a ladder for Duke to climb. The Blue Devils gained seven in their 8 video games in January and held all the ones fighters (even within the loss) to fewer than 60 issues.

Then seven days: @ NC Climate (Feb. 3)


Earlier score: 8

Closing moment, we tagged the Frogs’ commute to Oklahoma Climate as probably difficult, and it used to be: They misplaced 60-59 in Stillwater, which helped the Cowgirls go back to the AP Manage 25. However TCU adopted that sadness with a historical win: its first over Baylor since February 1990, when each groups had been nonetheless within the used Southwest Convention. Baylor used to be a part of the founding of the Bulky 12 in 1996-97, and TCU joined in 2012-13.

Then seven days: @ Iowa Climate (Feb. 2)


Earlier score: 9

The Wildcats’ capturing used to be means off the mark in opposition to Texas A&M, they usually misplaced their first SEC contest and simply their 2nd total. However later going 1 of 18 from at the back of the arc Thursday in School Station, the Wildcats got here house to Lexington and beat Arkansas 89-69 on Sunday on 13 of 28 capturing from lengthy length. The hardest a part of Kentucky’s time table begins this moment, with six of its 9 excess regular-season video games in opposition to ranked foes.

Then seven days: vs. Alabama (Jan. 30), @ Oklahoma (Feb. 2)


Earlier score: 10

The lack of superstar middle Ayoka Lee, who’s out indefinitely later breaking a bone in her underpinning on Jan. 19 in opposition to Arizona Climate, impacted the Wildcats straight away. They misplaced their nearest contest, 63-53 on Saturday at Colorado. That ended Ok-Climate’s 14-game successful streak and used to be the Wildcats’ lowest level general of the season. The Wildcats must regroup as a group, which gained’t be simple.

Then seven days: vs. Iowa Climate (Jan. 30), @ Kansas (Feb. 2)


Earlier score: 15

The Sooners had been probably the most groups that wanted a bounce-back victory, they usually were given it. Then a 41-point loss at South Carolina on Jan. 19, they old a moment of observe to paintings on themselves. Later Sunday, they defeated Georgia 86-55. This moment can be difficult once more, with two ranked fighters.

Then seven days: @ LSU (Jan. 30), vs. Kentucky (Feb. 2)


Earlier score: 11

Closing moment used to be as tricky as anticipated for injury-depleted Maryland, with losses at Ohio Climate and at house to top-ranked UCLA. Bri McDaniel is out for the season (knee) and Shyanne Sellers (knee) is out indefinitely. A minimum of there’s this: Then going through ranked foes in seven in their ultimate 9 video games, the Terps have just one these days ranked opponent of their excess 9 regular-season video games (March 2, a rematch with the Buckeyes). However that doesn’t cruel the unranked Bulky Ten fighters are pushovers.

Then seven days: @ Penn Climate (Jan. 29), vs. Illinois (Feb. 2)


Earlier score: NR

The Wolfpack began the season at Disagree. 9 within the Energy Scores in mid-November, nearest fell out the nearest moment. Two and a part months after, they’re again. NC Climate, coming off victories over Syracuse and Virginia Tech, is 8-1 within the ACC, fix with Duke for 2nd park. The ones longtime Triangle competitors meet Monday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Then seven days: @ Wake Jungle (Jan. 30), vs. Duke (Feb. 3)


Earlier score: NR

Every other group that spent one earlier moment within the Energy Scores — in December — is again. The Spartans have gained 5 in a row, together with a 30-point blowout of rival Michigan at the Wolverines’ house court docket ultimate Saturday. Defend Theryn Hallock has led Michigan Climate in scoring the ultimate 3 video games.

Then seven days: vs. Oregon (Jan. 30), @ Northwestern (Feb. 2)


Fell out: North Carolina Tar Heels, Tennessee Lady Volunteers

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *