UCLA Bruins women's basketball facts for kids
Quick facts for kids UCLA Bruins |
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| University | University of California, Los Angeles | ||
| All-time record | 890–549 (.618) | ||
| Head coach | Cori Close (15th season) | ||
| Conference | Big Ten | ||
| Location | Los Angeles, California | ||
| Arena | Pauley Pavilion (Capacity: 12,829) |
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| Nickname | Bruins | ||
| Student section | The Den | ||
| Colors | True Blue and Gold |
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| Uniforms | |||
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| NCAA Tournament Champions | |||
| 2026 | |||
| NCAA Tournament Final Four | |||
| 2025, 2026 | |||
| NCAA Tournament Elite Eight | |||
| 1999, 2018, 2025, 2026 | |||
| NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen | |||
| 1985, 1992, 1999, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 | |||
| NCAA Tournament Appearances | |||
| 1983, 1985, 1990, 1992, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 | |||
| AIAW Tournament Champions | |||
| 1978 | |||
| AIAW Tournament Final Four | |||
| 1978, 1979 | |||
| AIAW Tournament Elite Eight | |||
| 1978, 1979 | |||
| AIAW Tournament Sweet Sixteen | |||
| 1978, 1979 | |||
| AIAW Tournament Appearances | |||
| 1978, 1979, 1981 | |||
| Conference Tournament Champions | |||
| Pac-12: 2006 Big Ten: 2025, 2026 |
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| Conference Regular Season Champions | |||
| Pac-12: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1999 Big Ten: 2026 |
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The UCLA Bruins women's basketball team started in 1974. They represent the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The team plays in the Big Ten Conference in college basketball. They compete at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Their head coach is Cori Close. The team plays its home games at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. The Bruins have a rich history in women's basketball. They won the 1978 AIAW National Large College Basketball Championship in 1978. A special banner celebrating this win hangs in Pauley Pavilion.
In the 2014–15 season, the team won the WNIT championship. The 2024–25 season was also very exciting. The Bruins reached their first NCAA Final Four in the modern era. Then, in the 2025–26 season, the Bruins had an amazing 37–1 record. They won the program's second national championship. This was their first NCAA basketball championship.
Contents
- Meet the Team: Current Roster
- Team History and Coaches
- Star Players: Bruins in the WNBA
- Honored Jerseys: Retired Numbers
- Postseason Tournament Results
- Player and Coach Awards
Meet the Team: Current Roster
Here are the players and coaches for the UCLA Bruins women's basketball team.
| 2025–26 UCLA Bruins women's basketball team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Roster |
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Team History and Coaches
Women's sports at UCLA began because of Title IX. This law helped create more opportunities for women in college sports. Dr. Judith Holland was the first athletic director for women's sports. The first UCLA women's basketball team started in the 1974-75 season. Ann Meyers was a pioneer. She was the first woman to receive a four-year basketball scholarship at any university. UCLA's men's basketball team was already famous. They had won many championships under Coach John Wooden.
Early Coaches and Success
Coach Kenny Washington (1974-75)
Kenny Washington was a basketball star for UCLA's men's teams. He became the first coach for the women's basketball program. He coached for one season. His team had an 18–4 record with star player Ann Meyers. He was also the first African-American head coach at UCLA in any sport.
Coach Ellen Mosher (1975-77)
Coach Ellen Mosher led the Bruins to a 7–1 record in the WCAA conference in 1976-77. They had a big win against number 5 ranked Cal State Fullerton. This was their first win against a top ten team. The Bruins finished the regular season with a 16–1 record. They were invited to the 1977 AIAW National Large College Basketball Championship. They later played in the 1978 National Women's Invitational Tournament (NWIT) finals. They finished with a 20–3 record that season.
Coach Billie Moore (1977-93)
Billie Moore became the head coach after Ellen Mosher. She coached at UCLA for 16 seasons. Her overall record was 296–181. Moore resigned after the 1992–93 season.
1977-78 AIAW National Championship
The 1978 team was very special. It was led by amazing players like Ann Meyers, Denise Curry, and Anita Ortega. Under Coach Billie Moore, they won the 1978 AIAW tournament. The Bruins beat Maryland 90–74 in the championship game. This game was played in front of a huge crowd at Pauley Pavilion. Meyers had 20 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. Ortega scored 23 points. The team finished that season with an impressive 27–3 record. They also won the WCAA conference title.
Coach Kathy Olivier (1994-2008)
Kathy Olivier joined UCLA as an assistant coach in 1986. She became the head coach in 1993. In her 15 seasons, Olivier led the team to a 232–208 record. Her teams won the program's first Pac-10 regular season title in 1999. They also won the first Pac-10 Tournament title in 2006. UCLA played in five NCAA Tournaments during her time. Their best run was reaching the Elite Eight in 1999. Olivier resigned from UCLA in 2008.
Coach Nikki Fargas (2008-11)
Nikki Fargas became the head coach in 2008. In her first season, UCLA had 18 wins and 11 losses. During the 2009–2010 season, UCLA finished second in the Pac-10. They had a 25–9 record that year.
Coach Cori Close (2011 - Present)
Cori Close was named head coach in 2011. She had been a coach for the Bruins earlier, from 1993-95. During that time, she learned a lot from Coach John Wooden.
2024-25 Season: NCAA Final Four
The Bruins had a fantastic 2024–25 season. They finished with a 34–3 record. They were 16–2 in Big Ten play, placing second. UCLA then beat USC to win the 2025 Big Ten conference tournament. The team was ranked No. 1 in the polls for the first time ever. They earned the top seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. They reached their first NCAA Final Four game. There, they were eliminated by the eventual national champion UConn. A documentary called You See LA was broadcast in March 2026. It showed footage from games, team meetings, and interviews.
2025-26 Season: First NCAA National Championship
The 2025–26 Bruins had an incredible season. They achieved a 37–1 record. They won the program's second women's basketball national championship. This was their first championship in the NCAA era.
Star Players: Bruins in the WNBA
Many talented UCLA players have gone on to play in the WNBA.
Players Drafted into the WNBA
| Player | Draft | Seasons | Years |
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| Rehema Stephens | 1998 – 25th by Los Angeles | 1 | (1998) Last with Sacramento |
| Natalie Williams | 1999 – 3rd by Utah | 7 | (1999–2005) Last with the Indiana Fever; Current Las Vegas Aces General Manager |
| Maylana Martin | 2000 – 10th by Minnesota | 2 | (2000–2001) Last with the Minnesota Lynx |
| Nicole Kaczmarski | 2003 – 39th by New York | 0 | - |
| Lisa Willis | 2006 – 5th by Los Angeles | 4 | (2006-2009) Last with the Sacramento Monarchs |
| Nikki Blue | 2006 – 19th by Washington | 6 | (2006-2010) Last with the New York Liberty |
| Noelle Quinn | 2007 – 4th by Minnesota | 12 | (2007-2018) Last with the Seattle Storm; Former Seattle Storm Head Coach; WNBA Champion - Player WNBA Champion - Coach |
| Lindsey Pluimer | 2008 – 20th by Washington | 0 | - |
| Nirra Fields | 2016 – 32nd by Phoenix | 1 | (2016) Last with the Phoenix Mercury |
| Jordin Canada | 2018 – 5th by Seattle | 6 | (2018-Present) Currently with Atlanta 2x WNBA Champion |
| Monique Billings | 2018 – 15th by Atlanta | 6 | (2018-Present) Currently with Golden State |
| Kennedy Burke | 2019 – 22nd by Dallas | 4 | (2019-2022) Last with Washington |
| Japreece Dean | 2020 – 30th by Chicago | 0 | - |
| Michaela Onyenwere | 2021 – 6th by New York | 3 | (2021-Present) Currently with Chicago WNBA Rookie of the Year |
| Charisma Osborne | 2024 – 25th by Phoenix | 0 | (2024-Present) Currently with Phoenix |
Undrafted Players in the WNBA
| Player | Seasons | Years |
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| Sandra Van Embricqs | 1 | (1998) Last with Los Angeles |
| Michelle Greco | 1 | (2004) Last with Seattle WNBA Champion |
Other Famous Players
- Denise Curry
- Jackie Joyner-Kersee
- Ann Meyers, Phoenix Mercury Vice President
- Natalie Nakase, Golden State Valkyries Head Coach
- Teiko Nishi
- Anita Ortega
Honored Jerseys: Retired Numbers
UCLA honors some of its most outstanding players by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player on the team will wear that number again.
| No. | Player | Pos. | Tenure | No. Ret. | Ref. |
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Denise Curry | 1977–81 | 1990 | ||
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Ann Meyers | SG | 1974–78 | 1990 |
Postseason Tournament Results
The UCLA Bruins women's basketball team has a strong history in postseason tournaments.
NCAA Division I Tournament Appearances
UCLA has played in the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament 21 times. They have a record of 33–20 in these games.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | #6 | First Round | #3 Oregon State | L 62–75 |
| 1985 | #6 | First Round Sweet Sixteen |
#3 Washington #2 Georgia |
W 78–62 L 42–78 |
| 1990 | #10 | First Round | #7 Arkansas | L 80–90 (OT) |
| 1992 | #5 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen |
#12 Notre Dame #4 Texas #8 SW Missouri State |
W 93–72 W 82–81 L 57–83 |
| 1998 | #7 | First Round Second Round |
#10 Michigan #2 Alabama |
W 65–58 L 74–75 |
| 1999 | #3 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight |
#14 UW–Green Bay #6 Kentucky #2 Colorado State #1 Louisiana Tech |
W 76–69 W 87–63 W 77–68 L 62–88 |
| 2000 | #10 | First Round | #7 George Washington | L 72–79 |
| 2004 | #10 | First Round | #7 Minnesota | L 81–92 |
| 2006 | #5 | First Round Second Round |
#12 Bowling Green #4 Purdue |
W 74–61 L 54–61 |
| 2010 | #8 | First Round Second Round |
#9 NC State #1 Nebraska |
W 74–54 L 70–83 |
| 2011 | #3 | First Round Second Round |
#14 Montana #11 Gonzaga |
W 55–47 L 75–89 |
| 2013 | #3 | First Round Second Round |
#14 Stetson #6 Oklahoma |
W 66–49 L 72–85 |
| 2016 | #3 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen |
#14 Hawaii #6 South Florida #2 Texas |
W 66–50 W 72–67 L 64–72 |
| 2017 | #4 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen |
#13 Boise State #5 Texas A&M #1 Connecticut |
W 83–56 W 75–43 L 71–86 |
| 2018 | #3 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight |
#14 American #11 Creighton #2 Texas #1 Mississippi State |
W 71–60 W 86–64 W 84–75 L 73–89 |
| 2019 | #6 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen |
#11 Tennessee #3 Maryland #2 Connecticut |
W 89–77 W 85–80 L 61–69 |
| 2021 | #3 | First Round Second Round |
#14 Wyoming #6 Texas |
W 69–48 L 62–71 |
| 2023 | #4 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen |
#13 Sacramento State #5 Oklahoma #1 South Carolina |
W 67–45 W 82–73 L 43-59 |
| 2024 | #2 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen |
#15 California Baptist #7 Creighton #3 LSU |
W 84–55 W 67–63 L 69-78 |
| 2025 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four |
#16 Southern #8 Richmond #5 Ole Miss #3 LSU #2 UConn |
W 84–46 W 84–67 W 76–62 W 72–65 L 51–85 |
| 2026 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship |
#16 California Baptist #8 Oklahoma State #4 Minnesota #3 Duke #1 Texas #1 South Carolina |
W 96–43 W 87–68 W 80–56 W 70–58 W 51–44 W 79–51 |
AIAW Division I Tournament Appearances
The Bruins played in the AIAW National Division I basketball tournament three times. They had a combined record of 8–3 in these tournaments.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship |
BYU Stephen F. Austin Montclair State Maryland |
W 96–75 W 69–51 W 87–82 W 75–65 |
| 1979 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship |
Oregon State Wayland Baptist Old Dominion Tennessee |
W 105–70 W 92–73 L 82–87 L 86–104 |
| 1981 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals |
Oregon State Kansas Louisiana Tech |
W 72–65 W 73–71 L 54–87 |
Player and Coach Awards
National Player Awards
- Naismith Women’s College Defensive Player of the Year
- Lauren Betts – 2025
National Coach Awards
- Naismith College Coach of the Year
- Cori Close – 2025
- WBCA National Coach of the Year
- Cori Close – 2025
- WBCA Assistant Coach of the Year
- Tony Newnan – 2025
