UCLA Women's Basketball Loses Pac-12 Title to Washington State

Even with the blue bloods out of the way, the Bruins couldn't get over the hump.

No. 5 seed UCLA women's basketball (25-8, 11-7 Pac-12) fell to No. 7 seed Washington State (22-10, 9-9) in the Pac-12 tournament finals on Sunday, losing 65-61. It marked the Cougars' first Pac-12 title in any sport in 21 years, while the Bruins dropped to 1-6 in the finals, despite upsetting No. 1 seed Stanford two days earlier.

Washington State shot 53.7% from the field compared to UCLA's 36.7% mark, and the Cougars got 44 of their points from guard Charlisse Leger-Walker and center Bella Murekatete. The Bruins ultimately couldn't keep up with that high-scoring duo, failing to convert in the biggest moments down the stretch.

The Bruins and Cougars traded buckets for most of the first quarter, but the blue and gold held the lead for the back half of the opening period. Guard Charisma Osborne and forward Emily Bessoir notched unanswered and-1s to put UCLA on top, and the latter led all players with eight points through the first 10 minutes of action.

Seven offensive rebounds turned into seven second-chance points for the Bruins, allowing them to go up 18-14 through one. A 3-pointer from Osborne made it a seven-point game early in the second, but an and-1, a 3-pointer and some free throws vaulted the Cougars ahead in less than two minutes.

There were three lead changes and two ties over the next few minutes, and then both teams' offenses started to slow down. Osborne missed a free throw that would have tied things up at the 2:09 mark, and then Leger-Walker knocked down a triple in the final minute to give Washington State a 32-28 lead at the half.

It took over four minutes for the Cougars to score in the second half, giving the Bruins a chance to pull back ahead. Bessoir hit a 3-pointer, then Rice got a layup and a triple of her own.

Leger-Walker made it 11 lead changes with a long ball not long after, only for Rice to swish a midrange jumper and send UCLA ahead yet again. That lead was short-lived, since Leger-Walker drilled her fifth 3-pointer of the game and then drew a charge on the other end that led to two more Cougar points.

Guard Gina Conti finally ended Washington State's 7-0 run with a layup, and UCLA went into the fourth quarter down 44-42.

Sontag tied things up with a post hook to open the final frame, and the Cougars pulled right back ahead on a layup that came off a Sontag turnover. Washington State kept dicing up UCLA's defense, and even when Osborne trimmed the lead down with a jumper, the underdogs kept getting shots to fall.

The Cougars were shooting well for most of the day – going 15-for-31 from the field through three quarters – but they took things to the next level in the fourth. Washington State got its first five attempts to fall, plus two free throws, and their six-point lead with 5:04 left was their largest of the game.

Leger-Walker's scoop layup with 3:24 remaining made it an eight-point advantage for the Cougars, meaning the Bruins were going to have to stage yet another big comeback if they were going to end the weekend as conference champions.

Osborne singlehandedly cut the gap to four, but Leger-Walker got an and-1 to virtually wipe it out. Conti's 3-pointer cut it to two, only for Murekatete to knock down both of her free throws.

Eventually, UCLA had to resort to intentional fouls. Leger-Walker missed one of her tries from the line, keeping the Bruins down by three, and two late official reviews gave the blue and gold possession in the final moments.

Osborne's potential tying attempt was an airball, however, and Leger-Walker forced a held ball under the basket. UCLA couldn't work any miracles from there, and they had to watch Washington State rush the court and celebrate history.

Bessoir, Rice and Osborne combined for 43 points, but no one else broke five points. The Bruins were outscored in the paint, didn't score a single fast break point and never led in the four quarter.

UCLA is going to safely make the NCAA tournament as an at-large, but they were unable to secure an automatic bid Sunday. The Bruins will now wait until next week's Selection Sunday to see where they'll start their March Madness journey.

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