We’re just a few hours away from the start of the LSU women’s basketball vs. UCLA matchup in the 2024 Sweet 16, and it’s certainly shaping up to be a good one. Here’s everything you need to know about the game, including when and where to watch.
LSU women’s basketball vs. UCLA Sweet 16 matchup overview
What a ride it’s been for coach Kim Mulkey and the Tigers throughout the 2024 season. From getting things going as favorites to repeat, to being plagued by the injury bug, to battling No. 1 South Carolina to the very end in the SEC Tournament Championship, this purple and gold team has been through it all.
While it might have seemed like a rollercoaster up to this point, it’s all just been preparing the group for a Sweet 16 matchup that has the potential to be one of the best in all of March Madness.
When it comes to the 2024 UCLA team, it doesn’t take much research to realize that this is one of the most talented overall rosters in the country. Led by elite 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts, the group can beat you down low or from beyond the arc, while allowing their opponents just 60.7 points per game.
Lucky for Tiger fans, few, if any teams in the country are better than LSU when it comes to scoring ability. Averaging 86.1 points per game, it’s nearly impossible to win a shootout with the purple and gold, which has favored them throughout the season, even with being slightly undersized in comparison to the rest of the SEC.
The names to know for the Bruins are Betts, who leads the team in points, rebounds and blocks per game, averaging 14.9, 9.0 and 2.0 respectively. However, it might be the guard play that makes this UCLA team so dangerous.
Senior Charisma Osborne, sophomore Kiki Rice and sophomore Londynn Jones are all dangerous in their own right, bringing something unique to the floor that makes it dangerous for teams to double Betts down low. All three average over 10 points and 1.0 steal per game, showing that the trio can compete with some of the best out there on both sides of the court.
Overall, LSU women’s basketball vs. UCLA has the potential to be a hard-fought defensive battle all the way to the end. However, from a top-to-bottom speed standpoint, the Tigers are tough to compete against. If star forwards Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow can use their smaller size to out maneuver Betts, it could end up being a game changer.
Both teams have elite guard play and we’ll likely see some fantastic battles from beyond the arc. With that said, it’s the play in the post that will likely make or break this game for both teams. From a speed and overall scoring standpoint, LSU definitely has an advantage, but having already beaten seven top-25 teams during the regular season, it’d be wise to not count out the Bruins just yet.
Where, when, how to watch
Homecourt is no longer an advantage for coach Kim Mulkey and the Tigers, as their matchup vs. the Bruins is set to take place way up north in Albany, NY at MVP Arena.
Still, with both No. 2 UCLA (27-6) and No. 3 LSU (30-5) having traveled across the country for their Sweet 16 game, there shouldn’t be too much of an advantage one way or the other. Instead, it will be all about talent, coaching, leadership, chemistry and who wants it more in the end.
As of Saturday, March 30, 2024, the early odds have the Tigers as a -3.5 favorite, according to ESPN BET, to go along with an over/under of 145.5.
The LSU women’s basketball vs. UCLA matchup will be available to watch live today at 12:00 p.m. CST on ABC and the winner will officially move on to the Elite Eight to face off against either No. 1 Iowa (31-4) or No. 5 Colorado (24-9).
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