University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Photo by: Caren Nicdao
UCLA Claims Four Conference Postseason Awards, Nine All-Conference Selections
March 03, 2026 | Women's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – No. 2-ranked UCLA (28-1, 18-0 B1G) racked up four of the five individual postseason conference awards and had Bruins included on every all-conference team, the Big Ten announced Tuesday.
Senior center Lauren Betts earns two major accolades for her work on the court in 2025-26, claiming Big Ten Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. She leads UCLA in points (16.3), rebounds (8.8) and blocks (2.0) per game, while also averaging 3.2 assists per contest. The center also adds another Defensive Player of the Year trophy to her name as she was selected as the conference's best defender for the second-consecutive season. Lauren Betts becomes the first player in Big Ten Conference history to be named both DPOY and POTY in the same season. She secures All-Big Ten First Team and Big Ten All-Defensive Team honors with the postseason recognitions.
Graduate student Angela Dugalić has been tabbed as the Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year for her contributions off the bench. She's the only non-starter in the country averaging 9.0+ points, 5.0+ rebounds and 1.0+ steals while shooting .500 from the field and .350 from long distance (fewer than 10 GS). The honor marks the second-consecutive season in which a Bruin was awarded Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year (Janiah Barker, 2024-25).
The Michael Price Family UCLA Women's Head Basketball Coach Cori Close also earns Coach of the Year in the conference after leading UCLA to an 18-0 record in the Big Ten. The Bruins became just the fourth team in conference history to go undefeated in conference play: UCLA (2026), Maryland (2015), Purdue (1999) and Ohio State (1985). Close was awarded the 2019 media Pac-12 Coach of the Year honor and swept the national coach of the year awards in 2025 (AP, Naismith, USBWA and WBCA).
Senior Kiki Rice adds a few more honors to her long list of conference selections; the point guard was a unanimous selection for All-Big Ten First Team by both coaches and media voting. Rice was also named to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team, the first defensive selection of her career. With the award announcement Tuesday, Rice has been named to an all-conference team in all four of her collegiate seasons: 2023 Pac-12 All-Freshman (Coaches and Media), 2024 All-Pac-12 (Coaches and Media), 2025 First Team All-Big Ten (Coaches and Media), 2026 First Team All-Big Ten (Coaches and Media).
Senior Gabriela Jaquez and graduate guard Gianna Kneepkens were named All-Big Ten Second Team on Tuesday; Jaquez was included on both Coaches and Media lists. Kneepkens was a Media selection for the Second Team and made the cut as an Honorable Mention for the Big Ten coaches.
Jaquez is one of four players in the NCAA averaging 14+ points, 5+ rebounds and 1+ 3PM per game shooting 50 percent or better from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range. She's averaging career-highs in points (14.1 PPG), rebounds (5.6 RPG) and 3-pointers made (1.4 3FGM/G) during her senior season.
Kneepkens is one of three women's basketball players in the 50/40/90 club this season, boasting .530/.457/.941 shooting splits this season. She has the best free throw percentage and fewest turnovers among her peers in that efficient group of scorers.
Freshman Sienna Betts has also earned her first conference recognition of her budding career; the younger Betts was named Big Ten All-Freshman Team by both coaches and media. She averages 6.8 points per game on 52.4 percent shooting, grabbing 4.0 rebounds in just under 16 minutes per contest.
Graduate guard Charlisse Leger-Walker rounds out the set of recognitions for the Bruins; she was named UCLA's 2025-26 Big Ten Women's Basketball Sportsmanship Honoree.
See here for the complete 2025-26 All-Big Ten Women's Basketball Teams and Honors.
BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Lauren Betts (Coaches and Media)
BIG TEN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Lauren Betts (Coaches and Media)
SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Angela Dugalić (Coaches and Media)
BIG TEN COACH OF THE YEAR
Cori Close (Coaches and Media)
ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAM
Lauren Betts (Coaches* and Media*)
Kiki Rice (Coaches* and Media*)
ALL-BIG TEN SECOND TEAM
Gabriela Jaquez (Coaches and Media)
Gianna Kneepkens (Media)
ALL-BIG TEN HONORABLE MENTION
Gianna Kneepkens (Coaches)
BIG TEN ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Lauren Betts (Coaches* and Media)
Kiki Rice (Coaches)
BIG TEN ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Sienna Betts (Coaches and Media)
SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREE
Charlisse Leger-Walker
*Indicates unanimous selection
Senior center Lauren Betts earns two major accolades for her work on the court in 2025-26, claiming Big Ten Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. She leads UCLA in points (16.3), rebounds (8.8) and blocks (2.0) per game, while also averaging 3.2 assists per contest. The center also adds another Defensive Player of the Year trophy to her name as she was selected as the conference's best defender for the second-consecutive season. Lauren Betts becomes the first player in Big Ten Conference history to be named both DPOY and POTY in the same season. She secures All-Big Ten First Team and Big Ten All-Defensive Team honors with the postseason recognitions.
Graduate student Angela Dugalić has been tabbed as the Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year for her contributions off the bench. She's the only non-starter in the country averaging 9.0+ points, 5.0+ rebounds and 1.0+ steals while shooting .500 from the field and .350 from long distance (fewer than 10 GS). The honor marks the second-consecutive season in which a Bruin was awarded Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year (Janiah Barker, 2024-25).
The Michael Price Family UCLA Women's Head Basketball Coach Cori Close also earns Coach of the Year in the conference after leading UCLA to an 18-0 record in the Big Ten. The Bruins became just the fourth team in conference history to go undefeated in conference play: UCLA (2026), Maryland (2015), Purdue (1999) and Ohio State (1985). Close was awarded the 2019 media Pac-12 Coach of the Year honor and swept the national coach of the year awards in 2025 (AP, Naismith, USBWA and WBCA).
Senior Kiki Rice adds a few more honors to her long list of conference selections; the point guard was a unanimous selection for All-Big Ten First Team by both coaches and media voting. Rice was also named to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team, the first defensive selection of her career. With the award announcement Tuesday, Rice has been named to an all-conference team in all four of her collegiate seasons: 2023 Pac-12 All-Freshman (Coaches and Media), 2024 All-Pac-12 (Coaches and Media), 2025 First Team All-Big Ten (Coaches and Media), 2026 First Team All-Big Ten (Coaches and Media).
Senior Gabriela Jaquez and graduate guard Gianna Kneepkens were named All-Big Ten Second Team on Tuesday; Jaquez was included on both Coaches and Media lists. Kneepkens was a Media selection for the Second Team and made the cut as an Honorable Mention for the Big Ten coaches.
Jaquez is one of four players in the NCAA averaging 14+ points, 5+ rebounds and 1+ 3PM per game shooting 50 percent or better from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range. She's averaging career-highs in points (14.1 PPG), rebounds (5.6 RPG) and 3-pointers made (1.4 3FGM/G) during her senior season.
Kneepkens is one of three women's basketball players in the 50/40/90 club this season, boasting .530/.457/.941 shooting splits this season. She has the best free throw percentage and fewest turnovers among her peers in that efficient group of scorers.
Freshman Sienna Betts has also earned her first conference recognition of her budding career; the younger Betts was named Big Ten All-Freshman Team by both coaches and media. She averages 6.8 points per game on 52.4 percent shooting, grabbing 4.0 rebounds in just under 16 minutes per contest.
Graduate guard Charlisse Leger-Walker rounds out the set of recognitions for the Bruins; she was named UCLA's 2025-26 Big Ten Women's Basketball Sportsmanship Honoree.
See here for the complete 2025-26 All-Big Ten Women's Basketball Teams and Honors.
BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Lauren Betts (Coaches and Media)
BIG TEN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Lauren Betts (Coaches and Media)
SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Angela Dugalić (Coaches and Media)
BIG TEN COACH OF THE YEAR
Cori Close (Coaches and Media)
ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAM
Lauren Betts (Coaches* and Media*)
Kiki Rice (Coaches* and Media*)
ALL-BIG TEN SECOND TEAM
Gabriela Jaquez (Coaches and Media)
Gianna Kneepkens (Media)
ALL-BIG TEN HONORABLE MENTION
Gianna Kneepkens (Coaches)
BIG TEN ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Lauren Betts (Coaches* and Media)
Kiki Rice (Coaches)
BIG TEN ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Sienna Betts (Coaches and Media)
SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREE
Charlisse Leger-Walker
*Indicates unanimous selection
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
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