UCLA Bruins celebrates Sunday, March 8, 2026, after the Big Ten Tournament Championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. UCLA Bruins defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes, 96-45, for back to back Big Ten championships.
UCLA women’s basketball unsurprisingly earned one of the four No. 1 seeds for the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
But the Bruins were not named the No. 1 overall seed, despite winning 25 consecutive games and leading the nation with 18 Quadrant 1 wins this season. Instead, reigning national champions and the nation’s only undefeated program this season, UConn, claimed the No. 1 overall seed for the 15th time in program history.
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“The debate was pretty close the whole time between the two teams,” NCAA selection committee chair Amanda Braun said, per ESPN. “Went to a committee vote, watched a lot of UCLA and UConn — the vote went to UConn. The observable component, the way we watched UConn win throughout the year. UCLA did a lot of winning as well. The committee felt the observable component gave UConn the edge.”
UCLA head coach Cori Close said the outcome of Selection Sunday was what the program was expecting.
“This actually played out most of the way we thought it was going to,” Close said to fans and boosters, per Ben Bolch of The California Post. “We’re excited for the matchups we have. … Obviously, we have tremendous respect for everybody in that bracket, but this is about us. This is about us playing the best version of ourselves, us playing our best basketball, us being aggressive.”
UCLA Bruins celebrates Sunday, March 8, 2026, after the Big Ten Tournament Championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. UCLA Bruins defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes, 96-45, for back to back Big Ten championships.
Which Teams Will UCLA Host At Home?
The Bruins will host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA will begin the tournament against No. 16 seed Cal Baptist on March 21. The winner between UCLA and Cal Baptist will go head-to-head with either No. 8 seed Oklahoma State or No. 9 seed Princeton in the second round on March 23.
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Close is urging fans to show their support for the Bruins and attend the first two rounds of the tournament. She said this is the last opportunity for fans to watch UCLA play in its home stadium this season.
“The first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament here in Pauley Pavilion … we need to pack the house!” Close said on Sports Central LA on Sunday.
UCLA is coming off a dominant victory in the Big Ten Tournament championship game. And, now the Bruins are chasing after their first national championship in the NCAA era.
Photo Credit: Grace Hollars/IndySt | 2026 Mar 8
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