LOS ANGELES – The Bruins return to Phoenix in December 2026 to compete in the Scripps Sports Women’s Basketball Showcase. UCLA will face Duke on Wednesday, Dec. 16, at the Mortgage Matchup Center for a premier non-conference bout.
“We are so looking forward to being at the Mortgage Matchup Center for the Scripps Sports Women’s Basketball Showcase this year,” said the Michael Price Family UCLA Women’s Head Basketball Coach Cori Close. “There’s no better place to build championship habits, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it. Duke will provide a late preseason test that will show us exactly where we rank against some of the toughest competition in the nation. Coach Lawson always prepares her program at an elite level, so we can’t wait to be back in Phoenix for a big challenge ahead.”
UCLA will kick off the doubleheader at 4 p.m. PT against the Blue Devils; USC-Miami follows as game two in the 6:30 p.m. slot. The marquee matchups will be broadcast to national television on ION.
Tickets to the Scripps Sports Women’s Basketball Showcase will go on sale Thursday, August 20, at 10 a.m. PT at ticketmaster.com and mortgagematchupcenter.com. One ticket will provide admission to both of the doubleheader games. Further details regarding broadcast details and media credentials for the event will be shared at a later date.
UCLA vs. Duke – Program History
The Bruins and Blue Devils last met in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA March Madness tournament. UCLA downed Duke, 70-58, in front of a crowd of 9,627 in Sacramento to advance to its second-consecutive Final Four. Senior Lauren Betts led all scorers with 23 points (9-14 FG, 5-6 FT). The Bruin center also collected 10 rebounds and five blocks; it was her first of three-consecutive double-doubles on the way to UCLA’s 2026 NCAA championship title.
UCLA holds a 3-2 advantage in the all-time series after defeating Duke twice last season. The first meeting of 2025-26 was on Nov. 27 in the second half of the Players Era Women’s Championship. UCLA handled that matchup, claiming an 8i9-59 victory.
The previous meetings came in a four-year stretch between 1997 and 2000.
About Scripps Sports
Scripps Sports serves professional and college sports leagues, conferences and teams with local market depth and national broadcast reach. Scripps Sports currently has partnerships with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), Major League Volleyball (MLV), Pro Cheer League (PCL), ATHLOS track-and-field, the National Hockey League’s (NHL) 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, 2023 Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, the Utah Mammoth, the Nashville Predators, the Detroit Pistons of the NBA, the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA, Denver Summit FC of the NWSL and the NCAA’s Big Sky Conference. Scripps Sports is owned by The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP).
About Position Sports
Position Sports, established in 2005, is a premium event production and brand marketing firm that specializes in event operations, activation development, media relations, and digital engagement. Over the years, Position Sports has worked with many of the world’s leading brands, including Nike, Jordan Brand, Red Bull, the Basketball Hall of Fame, ESPN Events, USA Basketball, Upper Deck, MLB, and T-Mobile in nearly every major U.S. city and on a global scale. Position Sports provides clients with the expanded strategic direction needed to succeed in the sports marketing arena, also known as Positioning. To learn more, visit positionsports.com or follow @positionsports on X and Instagram.