The UCLA Bruins secured their tenth conference win when they beat the Illinois Fighting Illini 80-67. UCLA was the more veteran team, and it showed. Despite making only one 3-pointer, the Bruins shot 50% from the field. They also won the rebounding battle, committed fewer fouls, and outscored Illinois 48 to 24 in the paint.
For the Fighting Illini, this was their sixth loss of the season. Five of their losses came against ranked teams, but they put up a fight every single time and beat Maryland 73-70. UCLA head coach Cori Close was also impressed with the talent on Illinois’ roster and urged the team’s young core to stick around, even if there are some growing pains and tough losses, because they could have a bright future if they’re patient.
“We are where we are because we’ve had a core group of people that’s been willing to stay committed even when it’s really hard,” Close said in the postgame press conference. “And if they will choose that, they can be in a really special place.”
UCLA nailed the transfer portal ahead of the 2025-26 season by adding Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker, but most of their key players have been with the team for a while. Angela Dugliać joined the team for the 2021-22 season after one season in Oregon. Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez played their entire college careers at UCLA, starting in the 2022-23 season. Lauren Betts transferred to UCLA for the 2023-24 season from Stanford. That’s three of the team’s four double-digit scorers and four of six players who average at least 20 minutes per game.
It took a while for this group to find success. In the 2022-23 season, UCLA lost ten games and didn’t make it past the Sweet Sixteen. They flamed out at the same stage a year later. In the 2024-25 season, the Bruins finally got over the hump and went to the Final Four. They hope to build on that success this season.
Illinois has a very young roster
Age-wise, Illinois’ roster is where UCLA was a few years ago. There is only one senior on the roster, and five of the eight players averaging at least ten minutes per game are either freshmen or sophomores.
Berry Wallace, the team’s leading scorer, is only in her second season, but has already shown tremendous growth compared to her freshman year. Cearah Parchment is the team’s leading rebounder and third-leading scorer despite only being a freshman. Destiny Jackson is also a freshman but leads the team in assists and averages almost 30 minutes per game.
While shooting efficiency was an overall issue for the Fighting Illini, their young players held their own against a much more veteran Bruins squad. Parchment recorded a game-high 26 points on 10-13 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds. Jackson added 15 points and six assists while only turning the ball over once. She also got two steals. Wallace was relatively quiet with 11 points on 3-17 shooting, but did her best to impact the game in other ways. She got 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal.