UCLA Wins 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament Crown
Bruins break tournament records on their way to second title in as many years
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Top-seeded UCLA won its second straight Big Ten Conference Tournament title with a 96-45 victory over second-seeded Iowa on Sunday afternoon inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. For the first time in program history, the Bruins won back-to-back conference tournament crowns after earning their first Big Ten Tournament Championship a season ago. UCLA also eclipsed 30 wins for the second consecutive season (31-1).
The 51-point margin of victory broke the record for the largest in a Big Ten Tournament Final. The previous record was Iowa’s 33-point victory over Ohio State in 2023. The Bruins shot 63.5 percent (40-for-63), the highest field goal percentage by a team in any Big Ten Tournament game. UCLA also set the record for assists in any Big Ten Tournament game with 34 helpers and tied the record for most steals in the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game with 15.
With Sunday’s win, the Bruins clinched the Big Ten’s automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The full 68-team field for this year’s tournament will be announced Sunday, March 15 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
It was an all-around effort for UCLA as six players finished in double figures. Graduate student Gianna Kneepkens paced the Bruins with 19 points, followed by senior Kiki Rice with 15 points and a team-high eight assists. Rookie Sienna Betts chipped in 14 points while shooting a near perfect 7-for-8 from the floor and added seven rebounds.
Ava Heiden led the Hawkeyes with 15 points and four rebounds. Teammate Addie Deal tallied 11 points and three assists in the game.
For the second year in a row, the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds met in the championship game. UCLA is the first top-seeded team to win the Big Ten Tournament since 2021.
Rice was chosen by the media as the tournament’s Jim and Kitty Delany Most Outstanding Player. Rice and Heiden were joined by UCLA’s Lauren Betts, Iowa’s Hannah Stuelke and Ohio State’s Chance Gray on the Big Ten’s All-Tournament Team.