Becoming The Next South Carolina Was Always Ucla's Goal. Now It Must Beat Its Inspiration

PHOENIX — I must confess, I didn’t judge them.

Four years ago, I listened to then-freshman Kiki Rice and coach Cori Close show maine that their UCLA women’s hoops programme would someday beryllium for illustration South Carolina’s.

I didn’t bargain it, but I admired their aspirational cognition for illustration I admired personification who dreamed of visiting nan moon.

At nan time, nan Gamecocks were two-time nationalist champions. Now, of course, coach Dawn Staley’s teams person won 3 NCAA titles — pinch a changeable astatine four, if she tin get her squad past Rice, Close and their Bruins successful nan NCAA women’s hoops title crippled connected Sunday.

UCLA and South Carolina, nan past teams opinionated successful nan 2025-26 season.

The champion teams successful nan country.

And too that, pinch their hard-fought Final Four victories Friday complete Texas and Connecticut, respectively, barometers for different programs that dream of ascending to specified elite heights.

And wouldn’t you cognize it? It’s precisely arsenic Close predicted successful November 2022, erstwhile her Bruins were disconnected to a 7-0 commencement pinch a nationally televised day against nan Gamecocks up next.

“Both programs evidently clasp themselves to very precocious standards,” Close said then. “They are a small spot up of us, successful nan truth that they’ve won 2 nationalist championships. But that’s wherever we want to be. We want to beryllium that level of a program.”

At nan time, Close sounded for illustration nan precocious kid astatine nan statement who goes astir telling nan adults that she’s going to beryllium president someday — aliases successful Rice’s case, that her squad would beryllium 1 of nan apical successful nan nation.

UCLA players observe aft defeating Texas successful nan Final Four connected Friday to beforehand to nan NCAA women’s hoops nationalist title game.

(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)

“We cognize we person nan talent, nan accomplishment and we person nan expertise to execute and play astatine nan level of a top-five team,” said nan constituent defender who had conscionable arrived successful Westwood arsenic nan nation’s No. 2 recruit, down Lauren Betts — who’d subordinate her a play later.

You cognize really we adults are inclined to respond to specified unbridled optimism: With patronizing pats connected nan head. By lying encouragingly, “Sure, pal, you tin do anything you want to!”

How cute.

Oh, but nan Bruins were being serious.

They meant it.

Hold nan follow-through: They did it.

They talked their talk correct into existence, respectfully, reverently.

“This is what we each came present to do,” said Gabriela Jaquez connected Friday, a fewer minutes aft nan Bruins eked retired an oppressive 51-44 triumph complete Texas to march into nan NCAA title crippled for nan first clip successful programme history.

Rice and Jaquez were nan only members of nan existent Bruins juggernaut who began their assemblage careers arsenic a freshman astatine UCLA successful 2022, erstwhile they — past arsenic nan nation’s No. 15 squad — played nan top-ranked Gamecocks respectably successful Columbia, losing 74-64.

“It’s benignant of afloat circle playing South Carolina successful nan nationalist title game,” said Jaquez, who remembers that first gathering having to woody pinch Gamecocks prima Aliyah Boston successful beforehand of a packed Colonial Life Arena.

“Yeah, crazy. And we played ‘em again correct successful nan Sweet 16.”

That play ended pinch different loss to South Carolina, 59-43, successful nan Sweet 16.

The pursuing season, nan Bruins lost again successful nan Sweet 16, this clip successful a 78-69 nailbiter against Louisiana State.

And then, by nan clip UCLA and South Carolina completed their home-and-home group successful 2024, UCLA was really starting to fulfill nan prophecy it had laid retired for itself.

The Bruins dismantled South Carolina 77-62 successful a November crippled astatine Pauley Pavilion, launching themselves connected a way toward nan program’s first NCAA Final Four quality past March, erstwhile their play ended pinch an 85-51 nationalist semifinal nonaccomplishment to UConn.

“Just stacking those days,” Close said aft UCLA hit Duke successful nan Elite Eight past week. “What did that acquisition thatch us? What sewage exposed there? How do we adjust, whether it’s roster construction, whether it’s accomplishment development, whether it’s mentality, what constituent does each azygous point thatch us?

“It’s staying nan people connected what you judge to beryllium nan values of what leads to winning. And I really stress what leads to it … winning is simply a byproduct. We’ve conscionable tried to support a maturation mindset of it each and effort to fto each business thatch us.”

So location will beryllium nary rematch pinch nan Huskies — nan Gamecocks beat them 62-48 connected Friday — but location will beryllium different opportunity to trial themselves against South Carolina, exemplary program, paragon of hoop and nan only squad opinionated betwixt them and a nationalist championship.

“South Carolina has been, you know, 1 of nan champion programs successful hoops for nan past galore years,” Rice said Friday. “A ton of respect to nan programme and nan civilization that Dawn has built complete there.

“But I honestly deliberation that nan biggest point is conscionable gonna beryllium like, ‘Look, this is nan 2026 UCLA team. This is nan 2026 South Carolina team.’ So nevertheless we request to hole for each other, nevertheless we request to lucifer up, that’s what it’s going to take.”

I don’t uncertainty it.