The place to look at UCLA vs. Iowa: Massive Ten Event TV channel, dwell stream, prediction

INDIANAPOLIS — Fifteen groups from throughout the nation descended upon Indianapolis this week with the hope of profitable the 2026 Massive Ten Girls’s Basketball Event. 4 days and 13 video games later, solely two stay: No. 1 seed UCLA and No. 2 seed Iowa. 

These two applications have mixed for the final 4 titles: Iowa from 2022-24 and UCLA final 12 months. The Bruins solely joined the Massive Ten in 2024, however they have already got an opportunity to turn into the sixth program to win the convention’s event a number of occasions. (Iowa has six Massive Ten event titles, which is nice for second all-time.)

This is all the things it’s essential to learn about Sunday’s showdown. 

UCLA vs. Iowa

• Time: 2:15 p.m. ET | Date: Sunday, March 8
• Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
• TV channel: CBS | Dwell stream: Paramount+

Bruins dominated first matchup

These two groups have met as soon as this season, again on Feb. 1. UCLA dominated proceedings in Los Angeles, main by as many as 27 en path to an 88-65 win. The Bruins had 5 gamers in double figures, and shot 58% from the sector whereas forcing 19 Hawkeyes turnovers. 

In Iowa’s protection, that February contest was their second street recreation in 4 days on a West Coast journey, and on Sunday they’re going to have the group on their facet. Nonetheless, the primary assembly was a mirrored image of how simply UCLA has cruised by means of the Massive Ten this season. 

The 30-1 Bruins, who’re ranked No. 2 within the nation, had been an ideal 18-0 in convention play, and received 17 of these video games by double digits. When you embody their two event video games thus far, they’re 20-0 in opposition to Massive Ten foes with 19 double-digit victories. 

To no shock, UCLA is a giant favourite heading into Sunday. 

‘We’re at a spot now the place no one within the nation thought we might be’

Whereas UCLA, which boasts six potential 2026 WNBA Draft picks, entered the season because the clear favorites within the Massive Ten, nobody anticipated Iowa to be proper there with them. Within the Massive Ten preseason coaches ballot, the Hawkeyes weren’t even projected to be within the prime 5. 

Quick ahead 5 months, and Iowa is ranked No. 9 within the nation after a second-place end within the Massive Ten, and has a shot to win a fourth Massive Ten Event title within the final 5 years. 

“I instructed [my players] I used to be simply so grateful. We’re at a spot now the place no one within the nation thought we might be, besides the individuals in that huddle. Nobody actually predicted this, that we might be there,” Iowa coach Jan Jensen stated Saturday. “I did not know till we began working in June. This staff simply has one thing particular.”

“I do know, I do know, we gotta play UCLA tomorrow they usually’re nice, they usually obtained 6-foot-7 [Lauren Betts], however for us to be right here and have this second… I simply instructed them to take pleasure in it and know that this circle believed, and now we get a shot within the finals in one of the vital prestigious conferences in America,” Jensen continued.

Each groups targeted on themselves

Whether or not it was out of a way of caginess, or just a reminder of the shortage of preparation time in a event setting, each groups stated they had been targeted on themselves heading into Sunday. 

“I actually suppose it is simply enjoying as much as our commonplace each recreation,” UCLA guard Charlisse Leger-Walker stated when requested concerning the keys to victory. “We’ve targets that irrespective of who we’re enjoying, we at all times need to hit on, whether or not that is on the defensive finish, rebounding, popping out with actually good power. If we are the aggressors in plenty of these areas, we set ourselves up fairly good.”

Fellow Bruin Gianna Kneepkens echoed these ideas, saying “the objective is to only play our kind of basketball… if we play actually laborious, which I do know we’ll, issues will go the way in which they’re presupposed to go.”

Within the Iowa locker room, senior ahead Hannah Stuelke admitted that UCLA will likely be a tricky problem. 

“They’ve plenty of nice items, and I am undecided how we’ll deal with it but,” Stuelke stated. “However I feel simply displaying up and being us, being aggressive and giving it our all is gonna be key.”

Likewise, Chit-Chat Wright stated the Hawkeyes must play “Iowa basketball” to tug off the upset. “Not attempting to do the rest exterior of what we do and simply actually focusing in on our scout,” she stated.

Can Iowa take care of UCLA’s dimension?

Whereas UCLA is extremely gifted, its dimension can be a serious purpose for its success this season. Lauren Betts stands out at 6-foot-7, however the Bruins even have three different rotation gamers which can be no less than 6-foot-4, and nobody on the roster is shorter than 5-foot-10.

It is no marvel that one of many first issues Chit-Chat Wright stated in Iowa’s locker room about UCLA was “they’ve a reasonably large staff.” 

The Bruins’ dimension goes to be an actual subject for the 5-foot-4 Wright, particularly. Although extraordinarily fast, Wright is the second-smallest participant within the Massive Ten, and will likely be up in opposition to two potential first-round WNBA draft picks in 5-foot-11 Kiki Rice and 5-foot-10 Charlisse Leger-Walker, each of whom know tips on how to use their dimension to their benefit on either side of the ball. Within the first assembly, Wright had simply 10 factors on 3 of 8 capturing, whereas Rice and Leger-Walker mixed for 27 factors on 11 of 19. 

Moreover, UCLA’s benefit within the paint goes to pose issues for Iowa. Nobody within the nation has a solution for Betts, who had 16 factors on 8 of 11 the primary time the groups met. But it surely’s not simply Betts, it is the depth UCLA can roll in. Siena Betts — Lauren’s sister — Angela Dugalić and Amanda Muse are all 6-foot-4. Iowa solely has three gamers on their roster taller than six toes, and certainly one of them is freshman Layla Hays, who barely performs. 

The Bruins are second within the nation in offensive rebounding fee (44.5%) and fifth in factors within the paint per recreation (43.4). If the Hawkeyes need to pull off an upset, they’re going to want to determine some technique to take care of the Bruins across the basket. 

Prediction

This has been an unimaginable season for Iowa, and the truth that this recreation will likely be in Indianapolis in entrance of a giant pro-Hawkeyes crowd will matter. Nonetheless, there is a purpose UCLA is ranked No. 2 within the nation and is without doubt one of the favorites to win the nationwide championship. 

Iowa goes to struggle and work extraordinarily laborious, and if this turns right into a low-possession slog, they’re going to have an opportunity to maintain issues fascinating. Ultimately, although, UCLA’s expertise, dimension and depth will show an excessive amount of and the Bruins will defend their Massive Ten Event crown. Choose: UCLA 72, Iowa 59