UCLA Bruins Seek Revenge Against Texas in Final Four Matchup

The Bruins are focused on avenging last season's Final Four loss to the Longhorns, the only team to defeat them this year.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 8:38pm

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A fractured, cubist-style painting depicting the dynamic action of a women's basketball game between UCLA and Texas, with the players and court rendered in sharp, overlapping geometric shapes and vibrant team colors.The intense, high-stakes matchup between the UCLA Bruins and Texas Longhorns in the NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four promises a thrilling clash of two elite programs vying for a spot in the national championship game.Los Angeles Today

The UCLA women's basketball team is among the most well-known programs in the country as one of four top-seeded teams to make the Final Four of this season's NCAA Tournament. However, the attention and spotlight that accompanied their Final Four appearance last season left the Bruins feeling starstruck, which played a role in their loss to UConn. This year, the Bruins are determined to shed the emotion of past losses and focus on their matchup with Texas, the only team to defeat them this season.

Why it matters

UCLA's Final Four appearance last season brought increased attention and scrutiny, which the team struggled to manage. This year, they are hoping to use that experience to their advantage as they seek to avenge their loss to Texas and advance to the NCAA championship game.

The details

In last year's Final Four loss to UConn, the Bruins turned the ball over 20 times, leading to 18 points for the Huskies. This year, UCLA is focused on coming out as the aggressor, taking care of the ball, and executing their game plan. Texas is led by All-American Madison Booker and point guard Rori Harmon, who have helped the Longhorns' stifling defense hold opponents to just 37.9% shooting from the field and 28.7% from long range this season.

  • Last season, UCLA lost to UConn in the Final Four.
  • This season, UCLA's only loss came against Texas.

The players

Cori Close

The head coach of the UCLA women's basketball team.

Gabriela Jaquez

A senior guard for the UCLA Bruins.

Gianna Kneepkens

A six-foot guard for the UCLA Bruins who scored a team-high 17 points in the previous matchup against Texas.

Charlisse Leger-Walker

A guard for the UCLA Bruins who shot 50% for 13 points in the previous game against Texas.

Madison Booker

A 6-foot-1 forward for the Texas Longhorns who is averaging 19.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game.

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What they’re saying

“It's not any one thing — it's small, but it's the cumulative effect of all the things that can just take your focus a little bit off your edge. And I think if there's one thing that we're trying to do, it's trying to get us to our edge so that we are ready to go into the battle that's in front of us.”

— Cori Close, Head Coach, UCLA Bruins

“There's a lot of things that you wouldn't expect (at the Final Four). You get off the plane and there was a pirate ship — which we really appreciated, don't get me wrong. It's just something that you don't understand until you're there. But super grateful for the experience, and we're gonna be more prepared.”

— Gabriela Jaquez, Senior Guard, UCLA Bruins

“A lot of it is coming out and being the aggressors first, trying not to be reactive to situations. It's really about us and how we prep this week going into that game and really taking the confidence from everything that we've learned and built on since that game.”

— Charlisse Leger-Walker, Guard, UCLA Bruins

What’s next

The winner of the UCLA-Texas matchup will advance to the NCAA championship game, where they will face the winner of the UConn-South Carolina semifinal.

The takeaway

UCLA's experience in last year's Final Four has taught them the importance of managing the spotlight and maintaining their focus. This year, they are determined to use that knowledge to their advantage as they seek to avenge their loss to Texas and capture the program's first NCAA championship.