UCLA coach Cori Close doesn’t want to talk about it.
The thought of what happened to the Bruins in the past two NCAA Tournaments makes forward Gabriela Jaquez “mad and angry.”
But after back-to-back Sweet 16 exits, No. 1 UCLA seems well in position to redeem itself from what has transpired in the past.
UCLA has now spent a program record nine consecutive weeks as the top team in the Associated Press Top 25.
The Bruins on Monday rocked No. 25 Baylor, 72-57, in the inaugural Coretta Scott King Classic at Prudential Center to remain — along with No. 5 LSU — as one of only two unbeaten teams left in the nation. UCLA is 18-0 overall and sits at the top of the Big Ten with a 6-0 conference record.
The Bruins have the nation’s best post player in Lauren Betts and returned versatile two-way guard Kiki Rice and Jaquez, who’s the team’s motor (Jaquez’s older brother, Jaime Jaquez Jr., is a former UCLA men’s basketball standout and current member of the NBA Heat). UCLA’s depth also got better with the additions of transfers Janiah Barker (Texas A&M) and Timea Gardiner (Oregon State).
This Bruins team could take UCLA women’s basketball to where it’s never gone before: the Final Four.
But why stop there?
UCLA — the only team in 661 days to have beaten defending champion South Carolina in the regular season — has the talent and drive to possibly be the last team standing come April 6.
Though that might be the case, you won’t catch Close and the rest of her team discussing their past NCAA woes nor their upcoming potential for a March Madness run unless prompted by reporters.
“All we really want to talk about is how our character is growing because we know our talent only talks about our floor and our character and habits are going to determine our ceilings,” Close said. “So bottom line for us is that we are only focusing on giving to each other, growing and increasing our game.”
Close said she allowed her team only one chance at the beginning of the season to openly talk about last year’s unceremonious Sweet 16 defeat to LSU, which she said was “in the top-five hardest losses” of her coaching career.
During the preseason meeting, Close asked the group: “Well, what do you want to be different? Where do you want to be in March? And how do you want to be different?”
That conversation set the tone for the UCLA team that’s been unstoppable so far this season.
Since then, Close has stressed to the team about staying committed to the daily grind. A big focus for the Bruins this season has been on being devoted to what she called “passion plays” or the hustle moves that don’t show up on the stat sheet, such as deflections, screen assists, 50-50 balls and more.
“I care about the habits that we agreed on that are going to take us there,” Close said. “I’m a big believer that how present we are — that fear or doubt or anxiousness lies in regret of the past or fear of the future — and so if you’re solidly in the present and focusing on getting better that day and give it to your team, that’s where the good stuff really happens.”
UCLA has made five Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight under Close since she took over the program in 2011.
But this season’s Bruins seem to have what it takes to earn UCLA the Final Four berth that has eluded the program all these years.
Close still sees room to grow for her team. This next week will be a good test for the Bruins, who’ll stay on the East Coast to play at Rutgers on Thursday before heading to No. 8 Maryland on Sunday.
“I knew when I scheduled this that this was going to force us to elevate our level of toughness and focus,” Close said. “It’s going to force that level [up] in us.”
