The UCLA women’s basketball team was named as one of the four potential No. 1 seeds when the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee released its first top 16 early reveal on Sunday.
Head coach Cori Close remained true to form when digesting this information, staying present-minded and asking more of her team.
“To be the overall number one seed would be great,” Close told reporters on Sunday, “but that’s a ways away. I was fiery with our team today, just in the fact that I think we can play grittier.
“My challenge for them is how many possessions are you willing to earn? And if you’re willing to earn those possessions and earn the days, the number one seed will take care of itself.”
There is still nearly a month of basketball left until Selection Sunday and the No. 3 Bruins (24-1 overall, 12-1 Big Ten Conference) have four games remaining, followed by the Big Ten Tournament. It starts with No. 25 Illinois (21-5, 11-4) on Thursday at Pauley Pavilion, which will mark their third straight game against a ranked opponent.
They enter this final stretch with a question mark surrounding 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts. She did not play in Sunday’s game against Michigan State and is day-to-day with a right foot injury.
It’s not the first time UCLA has been without its leading scorer (19.5 ppg) and rebounder (9.9 rpg) – she missed two games in late December with a minor leg injury.
“We have already heard this,” Close said. “They beat a top 25 team in Creighton and they did it without Lauren. They know how to do this. We’ve got plenty to do it. It’s time for next woman up.”
UCLA leaned on its depth to fight off Michigan State 75-69. The Bruins outrebounded the Spartans 32-28, even though that figure was below the 44.5 rebounds per game that Betts helps them achieve. Michigan State also scored 40 of its points in the paint.
“The biggest thing that hurt us, not having Lauren tonight, was how we would play defensively,” Close said. “It took us a long time to figure out how we could adjust with her not being there as a rim protector.”
A silver lining is that Betts’ absence forced the Bruins to play as a team and allowed individuals to step up.
Transfers Timea Gardiner and Janiah Barker had their best games of the season Sunday. Gardiner came off the bench to score 18 points and make 4 of 7 3-pointers while Barker played a season-high 30 minutes and got her first double-double as a Bruin with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Coincidentally, the 6-foot-4 Barker was on the “hot seat” before the game as part of a tradition that UCLA dives into toward the end of the regular season. The player in the hot seat is praised by her teammates for everything that she brings to the team.
“The word that just kept coming is growth,” Close said of Barker, who arrived after two seasons at Texas A&M. “Staying in the fight, facing the hard. She has been the one for her whole entire career, and she has chosen intentionally to become one of a group that’s going to help her be the best version of herself both individually, but also collectively.”
Illinois has won eight consecutive Big Ten games and earned a spot in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Illini had a strong second half to beat Nebraska 77-68 on Sunday despite having only seven players available.
Kendall Bostic, Genesis Bryant, Brynn Shoup-Hill and Berry Wallace each played the entirety of the second half and all but Shoup-Hill scored in double figures.
After playing Illinois, UCLA will travel to Iowa (18-8, 8-7), which is in the midst of a five-day break. The Hawkeyes were on a six-game winning streak before losing to Ohio State in overtime Monday.
Lucy Olsen, a 5-foot-10 guard, has scored 27 points in each of the Hawkeye’s last two games and notched a season-high 32 points on Feb. 19 at Nebraska. The Hawkeyes are also the third-best defensive rebounding team in the conference at 28.3 per game.
Both of these games will be important not just as a No. 1 seed becomes closer and closer to reality, but also in upholding the team’s standard.
“There’s more in us. I don’t think we’re rebounding to the potential that we have. I think we can execute at a higher rate, and I think we can make more plays on the defensive end,” Close said. “I am thrilled to have a team that can put themselves in that position, and I hope they earn it the rest of the way.”
No. 25 ILLINOIS (21-5, 11-4) at No. 3 UCLA (24-1, 12-1)
When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: Pauley Pavilion
TV: Big Ten Network
No. 3 UCLA (24-1, 12-1) at IOWA (18-8, 8-7)
When: 11 a.m. Sunday
Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City
TV: Peacock