Super Selfless Seniors Are Key To Ucla Women's Basketball Success

The UCLA women’s hoops squad is closing successful connected an undefeated Big Ten season, clinched nan outright regular play convention title for nan first clip successful schoolhouse history, is riding a 21-win streak and is classed No. 2 nationally.

Perhaps astir remarkable, nan Bruins firmly judge they tin beryllium amended and person yet to highest arsenic they push to triumph a nationalist title.

How did UCLA spell from being a squad that sewage pushed astir by UConn, LSU and South Carolina successful nan NCAA tourney nan past 3 seasons to a loaded squad nary 1 wants to look successful March?

Bruins coach Cori Close solved nan riddle by recruiting six elder leaders who accepted they had to continuously sacrifice and push to amended to execute their goals. They echo their coach’s values, putting each different first successful bid to succeed.

“Me and Kiki [Rice] came present successful our freshman twelvemonth and it’s conscionable been astonishing to spot nan programme turn since then,” UCLA elder Gabriela Jaquez said. “And I deliberation that’s besides a large in installments to our coaches and to each nan unit astatine UCLA to really get nan fans retired location and support america because we really couldn’t do it without them.”

UCLA honored Lauren Betts, Angela Dugalić, Jaquez, Gianna Kneepkens, Charlisse Leger-Walker and Rice during their last regular-season location crippled Sunday. The group will beryllium backmost soon to big first- and second-round NCAA tourney games astatine Pauley Pavilion, but Close wanted them to return nan clip to observe each they had accomplished together.

Betts is successful nan nationalist subordinate of nan twelvemonth conversation, but nan large grant is apt to spell to different subordinate who carries a heavier workload for their team. Close said nan seniors are each projected to beryllium WNBA draught picks, but they person sacrificed amended individual statistic and perchance immoderate awards successful speech for a amended changeable astatine winning a nationalist championship. She said nan selfless attack is uncommon and should beryllium cherished.

“One of them said nan different day, like, ‘I mightiness not ever play connected a squad for illustration this again,’” Close said of her elder class. “I deliberation nan operation of nan extent of nan relationship, excellence connected nan court, their emotion of nan activity — they emotion to activity and get amended together — and their relationship disconnected nan court.

”... I deliberation these seniors really do really understand that this is really special. They’ve group a barroom for nan civilization of our programme that we will beryllium everlastingly measuring it against.”

Baseball makes a statement

No. 1 UCLA shot squad turned heads pinch a play expanse of No. 7 TCU. The Bruins hit nan Horned Frogs 10-2 connected Friday, 5-1 connected Saturday and 15-5 connected Sunday. Roch Cholowsky and Will Gasparino person racked up six location runs apiece during UCLA’s first 7 games this season.

Softball keeps rolling

The No. 9 UCLA softball squad hit No. 11 Texas A&M 15-7 successful 5 innings connected Sunday to headdress a 6-0 play astatine nan Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The Bruins besides hit No. 20 Duke and No. 13 South Carolina. Senior Megan Grant delivered a .545 batting mean during nan play pinch 2 location runs and 9 walks.

Gymnastics knocks retired Illini

No. 5 UCLA gymnastics defeated Illinois 197.675-195.475 Sunday successful Champaign, Ill.

Jordan Chiles won nan all-around (39.650), vault (9.950) and level workout (9.975), while Ciena Alipio won equilibrium beam (9.950).

The Bruins big 3 apical 25 programs — Iowa, Ohio State and Maryland — during nan Big Fours meet Friday astatine Pauley Pavilion.

In lawsuit you missed it

UCLA women blitz Wisconsin connected Senior Day, triumph 21st successful a row

Donovan Dent channels Tyus Edney, lifts UCLA to stunning OT triumph complete No. 10 Illinois

UCLA to play 2026 shot play astatine Rose Bowl arsenic suit continues

UCLA’s Mick Cronin apologizes for ejecting player, says he’s still ‘a bully fit’ arsenic coach

No. 2 UCLA’s 20th triumph successful a statement clinches stock of first convention crown successful 27 years

Plaschke: UCLA must eject Mick Cronin if he can’t respect his players

UCLA men are nary lucifer for Michigan State

No. 2 UCLA wins its 19th consecutive crippled pinch thrashing of Indiana

Have thing Bruin?

Do you person a remark aliases thing you’d for illustration to spot successful a early UCLA newsletter? Email newsletters editor Houston Mitchell astatine houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter successful your inbox, click here.