Pauley Pavilion will be rocking for this one!
The No. 8 Iowa Hawkeyes (18-3, 9-1 Big Ten) are wrapping up a brief two-game West Coast trip with a game against No. 2 UCLA (20-1, 10-0 Big Ten).
Iowa lost its previous matchup against USC in a game the Trojans led from start to finish.
Something was off on both ends of the court for the Hawkeyes, but they will have to pick themselves up quickly if they expect to upset one of the best teams in women's college basketball.
The Bruins have lost only one game all season, and are a perfect 10-0 in Big Ten Conference play this season.
After beating Illinois 80-67 on the road in Champaign, Illinois, UCLA will look to keep its unblemished Big Ten record intact.
Iowa HAS to take care of the basketball
Iowa is one of the worst teams in women's college basketball this season in turnovers per game (No. 11), coughing up the ball an average of 15.3 times.
It really came back to bite them in the loss to USC, and even though the 13 turnovers are below their season average, USC scored 19 points off those turnovers.
Jan Jensen chalked up Iowa's poor performance to missing Taylor McCabe, but she isn't walking through that door for the rest of the season.
Iowa guards Chit-Chat Wright, Addie Deal, Taylor Stremlow, and Kylie Feurbach have to hold onto the ball, and the post players have to be strong in the post.
Keep UCLA off the glass
The Bruins have a ton of size and strength in the paint, led by 2025 Defensive Player of the Year Lauren Betts.
The Bruins dominate opponents in the paint and on the glass, and if the Hawkeyes can't win the rebounding battle, it is going to be a long game.
The Bruins average 14.3 offensive rebounds per game, and are No. 3 overall in the country in field goal percentage (51.6).
UCLA also excels at shooting from beyond the arc, shooting 38.4 percent as a team, so if the Hawkeyes can force them into contested long-range shots, they will improve their chances.
Iowa has to hold the Bruins to one-and-done possessions to have a chance.
The bigs need to stay out of foul trouble
Ava Heiden has shown how important she is to the Hawkeyes, and when she goes off the floor, the offense declines.
Journey Houston has been more than a serviceable backup for Heiden and Hannah Stuelke, but Iowa needs both Heiden and Stuelke on the floor.
When the Hawkeyes struggle, it is because one or both post players are in foul trouble, and that can't happen against UCLA.
Lauren Betts is all but unstoppable down low, and if the Hawkeyes get in early foul trouble, it is going to be a long night.
Iowa must play a near-perfect game to upset UCLA on the road, and that starts with the Iowa post players staying out of foul trouble.
How to watch No. 8 Iowa at No. 2 UCLA
Date: February 1, 2026
Time: 3:00 p.m. Central Time
Venue: Pauley Pavilion (Los Angeles)
TV: Fox
Iowa record: 18-3 (9-1 Big Ten)
UCLA record: 20-1 (10-0 Big Ten)