Sun Mar 30 19:20:00 UTC 2025: ## UCLA Women’s Basketball Rides High on Individual Accolades and Top Seed into NCAA Tournament
**LOS ANGELES —** The UCLA Bruins women’s basketball team is heading into the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 overall seed, buoyed by a week of significant individual honors and a recent Big Ten Tournament victory. Center Lauren Betts made history, becoming the first UCLA women’s basketball player named an Associated Press First Team All-American, also earning USBWA First Team honors. Point guard Kiki Rice received AP All-America Honorable Mention, and head coach Cori Close was named the USBWA Coach of the Year.
The accolades come after UCLA avenged losses to USC by winning the Big Ten Conference Tournament, significantly boosting team confidence. The team’s success is attributed to improved leadership and focus, according to Rice.
UCLA will face Southern University (21-14) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday at 7 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion. This marks the first meeting between the two teams, but Coach Close expressed excitement about connecting with the HBCU program. Southern, having made history with their First Four win over UC San Diego, will present a challenge with their strong inside game featuring two 6-foot-4 centers. UCLA, however, has built its game around Betts’ strong performance in the post. Betts, along with Rice and other key players, are confident and ready for the tournament challenge. The game will be televised on ESPN.
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