No. 11 UCLA women’s basketball enters the 2026-27 season coming off the program’s first national championship run in the NCAA era. The entire starting lineup that brought home the title has since departed for the WNBA, leaving little continuity heading into the upcoming campaign.

This post was updated Oct. 21 at 12:18 a.m.
The referee returned from the VAR review and pointed toward the Bruins’ 18-yard box.
For a second, it appeared an 89th-minute challenge had successfully yielded a penalty kick – and perhaps the best chance on goal of the night – for the Wildcats.

The loss of starting goalkeeper Daphne Nakfoor to injury amid arguably the most important part of the conference slate could have derailed the Bruins’ dominant season.

This post was updated Oct. 15 at 10:40 p.m.
Blue-ribboned medals adorning players’ necks, monogrammed hats atop carefully chosen gameday hairstyles and a glass and metallic trophy lifted into the air.

This post was updated Oct. 4 at 10:35 p.m.
Every penalty kick brings nerves.
But a penalty kick in the 89th minute comes with the added burden that it could be the team’s last opportunity on net.

This post was updated Oct. 2 at 8:47 p.m.
A curving cross flies into the box, seemingly heading directly toward Terrapin defender/midfielder Mia Mitchell.
But then comes forward Oruha Hayashi, brushing shoulders with Mitchell as she jumps through the air to head the incoming ball towards the goal.

A tie would have been sufficient to earn the Bruins conference points.
But that mindset does not get a team very far.
So when junior midfielder Cate Sarinopoulos got the ball in the 85th minute, she knew she was taking it to the goal.

UCLA football (3-0, 1-0 Big Ten) will have the opportunity to open conference play undefeated through two games against Maryland (2-1) on Saturday at SECU Stadium.

One win vaulted the Bruins nine places in national rankings.
No. 12 UCLA women’s soccer’s (5-3-1, 2-1-0 Big Ten) ascendancy comes less than a week after it upset an undefeated then-No.

This post was updated Sept. 6 at 1:08 p.m.
UCLA is set to enter its third season in the Big Ten, following a sophomore campaign in which the program captured three NCAA championships – the most of any Big Ten school.