LOS ANGELES – No. 2 UCLA (26-1, 16-0) cruised past Washington (19-8, 9-7) with relative ease Thursday night, as it has in nearly every game the Bruins have played this season. The Huskies scored the first two points of the game and the Bruins led the rest of the way, winning 82-67 to remain undefeated in the Big Ten Conference.
The win also takes UCLA into territory they haven’t seen in the 21st century. Thursday’s win gives UCLA at least a share of the Big Ten regular-season title for the first time since 1998-99, when the Bruins shared the Pac-12 regular-season title with the Oregon Ducks.
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“There are a few alumni there. [1998-99] “It’s really special to have the team here today,” UCLA head coach Cori Close said. “I really want to add these guys. [UCLA’s players] Because we always have a humble feeling that we are walking on the shoulders of those who came before us. We’re really grateful to be in the position we’re in. “
The Bruins had a chance to win the Big Ten regular-season title last season, but crosstown rival USC Trojans thwarted the Bruins’ only two regular-season losses of the season.
Looking for more than just conference laurels
That hasn’t been a problem for the Trojans this season, and no other team has been able to do that so far. UCLA is just two games away from an undefeated conference record and the Big Ten title.
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“I’m really proud of this team. Obviously, we want to win outright and continue to make sure we finish this regular season the right way,” senior center Lauren Bates said. “Obviously, it’s great, but we’re looking forward to bigger things. So we’re going to continue to keep our heads down and keep getting better.”
Close is the first to agree that the Bruins still have ways to get better. They outscored the Huskies in all but the final quarter, but their defense at times wasn’t up to the standards Close was executing, especially at the end of the first and second half. Turnovers also became an issue late in the game, as the Bruins finished the game with 14 turnovers.
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Control controllable factors
Closing out games, playing cleanly at all times and maintaining intensity are one of UCLA’s few issues and the ones that focus most on Close.
“You can’t win every possession, but you have to focus on the controllables,” Close said. “I don’t mind a few turnovers. Aggressive turnovers may not pan out. But, what we do in terms of controlling things under our control is: You can’t have careless turnovers.”
UCLA forward Angela Dugalic (32) dives to steal the ball during a Big 10 basketball game on Thursday, February 19, 2026 in Los Angeles, California
John Panganiban-Sports Tribune
UCLA forward Angela Dugalic (32) dives to steal the ball during a Big 10 basketball game on Thursday, February 19, 2026 in Los Angeles, California
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What didn’t need to be addressed in Thursday’s UCLA game were what Close called “passionate plays,” moments when players show tremendous effort. By Close’s standards, UCLA has lacked a sufficient amount of passionate play in the past, especially in wins over Michigan State, but they had no such problem with Thursday’s win.
Graduate guard Gianna Kneepkens was especially good in many spirited plays, sometimes diving for loose balls.
“The thing you always have control over is being able to sneak down the field and try to get extra possessions for your team,” Knepkens said. “I didn’t like how I performed in past games, so I’m just trying to focus on it more in this game.”