No. 2 UCLA brings the nation’s most imposing frontcourt into State Farm Center on Wednesday night, and Illinois coach Shauna Green isn’t mincing words about the task ahead. Before the action gets underway, we’ve got the projected lineups for both teams, keys to the game, and the details on how to watch UCLA vs. Illinois.
UCLA Women’s Basketball Projected Starting Lineup
- Kiki Rice
- Gabriela Jaquez
- Gianna Kneepkens
- Angela Dugalić
- Lauren Betts
Illinois Women’s Basketball Projected Starting Lineup
- Destiny Jackson
- Gretchen Dolan
- Jasmine Brown-Hagger
- Berry Wallace
- Cearah Parchment
Lauren Betts Poses the Biggest Challenge for Illinois
The matchup everyone will be watching is Lauren Betts against Illinois’ interior defenders. The 6’7″ senior center averages 16.1 points per game and was recently named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List, the same honor she won last season.
Green acknowledged the problem, saying, “The thing is, you’ve got to pick your poison because you double Betts, and she’s elite at kicking out and finding you. She’s the best post player in the country and probably the number one overall pick and also a generational player for her position.”
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The Bruins don’t rely solely on Betts, which makes UCLA’s offense particularly difficult to disrupt. UCLA has multiple perimeter weapons, including guards Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, and Gianna Kneepkens, all of whom are averaging double figures.
That balance has powered the Bruins to a 19-1 record and a perfect 9-0 mark in Big Ten play. Illinois will counter with sophomore forward Berry Wallace, who has emerged as one of the conference’s best young scorers.
Wallace is averaging 18.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game this season, including a career-high 29 points against Northwestern earlier this month. Freshman Cearah Parchment provides size in the post, averaging 12.0 points and 8.1 rebounds, though matching up with Betts represents a considerable step up in competition.
UCLA’s Big Ten Dominance Continues
The Bruins have steamrolled through conference play after beating Purdue and Northwestern in blowout fashion last week. Cori Close’s squad dismantled Northwestern 80-46 in Evanston on Saturday, showing no signs of a mid-January lull.
All four of Illinois’ Big Ten losses have come against teams ranked in the AP Top 25, which suggests the Illini are competitive against quality opponents but are still searching for a signature win.
A No. 2-ranked UCLA team rolling through the Land of Lincoln offers Illinois its biggest home test of the season. Illinois will need career performances from Wallace and Parchment, plus a defensive scheme that keeps Betts from establishing deep post position.
Given UCLA’s perimeter shooting, that’s a difficult needle to thread.
How to Watch UCLA vs. Illinois
- Date: Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Location: Champaign, IL
- Arena: State Farm Center
- TV Channel: B1G+
- Live Stream: B1G+
