UCLA at Maryland women’s basketball: Storylines, watch info as No. 1 Bruins try to start 20-0
The top team in the country looks to stay perfect and open at 20-0. The hosts can both halt a pivotal two-game slide and deliver a megaphoned statement win. No. 1 UCLA will be a colossal favorite against shorthanded Maryland on Sunday afternoon, but the Terrapins have the offense and the home-court edge to at least make this interesting.
How to watch No. 1 UCLA at No. 8 Maryland
Venue: Xfinity Center — College Park, Md.
Time: 2 p.m. ET Sunday
TV: NBC
Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
Watching in-person? Get tickets on StubHub.
This will be the Terps’ annual “blackout” game. Their black alternate jerseys are among college basketball’s cleanest and coolest. Junior guard Kaylene Smikle has been a reliable bucket this season, with career-best marks on 2s, 3s and turnovers per game. But her backcourt running mate, Maryland’s second option Shyanne Sellers, hurt her knee during the team’s loss to Texas. They took an L without her last outing, 74-66, against Ohio State.
It gets worse. Junior Bri McDaniel, the third-leading scorer, tore her ACL against Minnesota on Jan. 14. Brenda Frese’s side will look to simplify the game and play to their strengths: getting to the line, grabbing rebounds and setting the tempo.
UCLA, of course, doesn’t let teams get comfortable. These Bruins are a wagon. They shoot 49.3 percent and hold opponents at 33.1. Center Lauren Betts has been wholly dominant, averaging a 20-point, 10-board double-double while leading the Big Ten in blocks. Her teammates take advantage of the gravity she commands and find space behind the arc. Londynn Jones lets it fly without hesitation, while Timea Gardiner is a spark off the bench, and Kiki Rice is one of the sharpest jump shooters in the sport.
It’s a great team overall, but Betts is the souped-up turbo engine that makes it all go:
The B1G assist for Lauren gets Deezy an easy 3⃣!
📺: FS1#GoBruins | @laurenbetts12 x @Deeezzy3 pic.twitter.com/sccG3Z1XTQ
— UCLA Women’s Basketball (@UCLAWBB) January 24, 2025
The Bruins are a long way from running the gauntlet, but a 20-0 start would get them just past the halfway mark for a perfect season. South Carolina went 38-0 in 2023-24. It’s been done by 10 teams in women’s college ball, six of which were UConn outfits.
From ’s Mark Schindler in Bracket Central:
“What has UCLA done this season? It’s one of two remaining undefeated Division I teams. It has five Quad 1 wins, tied for third in the country. It handed South Carolina, the reigning national champion, its only loss of the year. It’s won all but one game by double digits. The Bruins haven’t taken on the brunt of the Big Ten schedule yet, but they’re doing what you’re supposed to do: Win and win convincingly. Currently, there’s no case for any other team to take the top overall seed from the Bruins. Could that change in time? Absolutely, but at the moment, the case is closed.”
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Maryland Terrapins, UCLA Bruins, Women's College Basketball, Sports Betting
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