In the latest episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast, Madeleine Considine breaks down a game that will be remembered as a defining moment in UCLA women’s basketball history.
The No. 2-seed Bruins overcame adversity to defeat No. 1-seed USC, 72-67, in the TIAA Big Ten Women’s Basketball Championship on Sunday.
It was an exciting and emotional night for the Bruins. The victory marked UCLA’s first conference championship since 2006, as well as its first 30-win season.
As the blue and gold confetti rained down, Coach Cori Close’s overwhelming emotion wasn’t pride; it was gratitude.
You can watch the episode below:
“Thankful. Thankful and humbled to watch them persevere, to grow, to find ways to win, to be committed to selflessness,” Close said postgame. “I was just praying this morning. I was like, I just want to see them be the best version of themselves for each other. And that’s what I got to see today.”
This was not UCLA’s best game. It was outrebounded by 11 and committed 24 turnovers. However, the Bruins stayed resilient and still found a way to win.
“If you had told me we were going to turn the ball over 24 times and get outrebounded by 11 and still win, I would have told you you were crazy,” Close said. “But this group just said, ‘We’ll find a way.’ There’s no panic. They had great poise, and they did it with defense.”
It came down to UCLA’s defense. The Bruins held the Trojans to 9 points in the third quarter and 13 in the fourth.
Close reminded the media that this moment wasn’t about her but about the young women she coaches.
“This is not about me,” she said. “This is about serving young people through basketball and helping them become who they want to become and impact who they want to impact. … I’m just thrilled they got rewarded for their hard work.”
Despite losing to USC twice earlier in the season, the Bruins delivered when it mattered most.
“We didn’t win the toughness battle in those first two quarters,” Close said. “I really wondered what their eyes were going to look like when I went into the locker room at halftime.”
What she saw was determination.
“They were poised and determined,” Close said. “They knew they hadn’t played their best … but they still believed they could turn it around.”
That belief carried the Bruins through the second half, taking control of the game and securing the championship tournament title.
The road ahead will only get tougher with March Madness looming. But UCLA proved on Sunday that it can weather adversity and find ways to win. And for Close, that’s what makes this moment even more special.
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