UCLA Looks to Solve Texas' Stifling Defense in Final Four Rematch

The Bruins aim to avenge their only loss of the season against the Longhorns' tough defense.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 6:10am

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A fractured, cubist-style painting depicting a women's basketball game, with the players and court broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in the colors of UCLA and Texas.The high-stakes rematch between UCLA and Texas in the NCAA Women's Final Four promises a clash of two of the nation's top offenses and stifling defenses.Fort Worth Today

UCLA and Texas will meet in the NCAA Women's Final Four on Friday, a rematch of the Longhorns' 76-65 victory over the Bruins in November. UCLA center Lauren Betts struggled against Texas' defense in the earlier matchup, but the Bruins have won 29 straight since then and are confident they can find a way to solve the Longhorns' stifling defense this time around.

Why it matters

This rematch of last year's Final Four teams features two of the top offenses in the country, with both teams ranking in the top 10 in scoring and field goal percentage. However, Texas' defense has been the key to their success, holding their NCAA Tournament opponents to just 32.1% shooting. UCLA will need to find a way to get Betts more involved if they want to avenge their only loss of the season.

The details

In the November matchup, Texas was able to limit Betts, UCLA's 6-foot-7 All-American center, to just 8 points and 7 rebounds by aggressively denying her the ball. Guards Kiki Rice and Gianna Kneepkens stepped up for the Bruins, scoring 17 points each. Texas has continued to rely on its stifling defense in the NCAA Tournament, holding four opponents to 45, 58, 54 and 41 points and outscoring them by an average of 35.5 points.

  • The teams met in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas on November 26.
  • UCLA has won 29 straight games since that loss to Texas.

The players

Lauren Betts

UCLA's 6-foot-7 All-American center who averages 17.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.

Kiki Rice

UCLA guard who scored 17 points in the November matchup against Texas.

Gianna Kneepkens

UCLA guard who also scored 17 points in the November matchup against Texas.

Madison Booker

Texas' All-American guard who had 19 points in the Longhorns' Elite Eight win over Michigan.

Rori Harmon

Texas guard who had 13 assists, 7 points and 7 rebounds in the Longhorns' Elite Eight win over Michigan.

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What they’re saying

“The biggest difference looking back at the film is just creating opportunities to get the ball as much as I can. They're an amazing defensive team. As the (UCLA) guards are getting pressured on the perimeter, just trying to become so open that they can't not give me the ball.”

— Lauren Betts, UCLA Center

“We want to be a physical bear inside. Our identity is defense. We want to make people play to their weaknesses.”

— Madison Booker, Texas Guard

What’s next

The winner of the UCLA-Texas matchup will advance to the national championship game on Sunday.

The takeaway

This rematch of last year's Final Four teams features two of the top offenses in the country, but Texas' stifling defense has been the key to their success. UCLA will need to find a way to get center Lauren Betts more involved if they want to avenge their only loss of the season and advance to the national championship game.