Dec 28, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Markisha Wright (34), UCLA Bruins forward Lajahna Drummer (11) and guard Nirra Fields (21) wait for a rebound in the second half of the game at Pauley Pavilion. Notre Dame won 82-67. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
UCLA Women’s Basketball Preview
UCLA Women’s Basketball Head Coach Cori Close has taken the Bruins on a roller coaster ride every season she has been in Westwood. Since she took over four years ago, UCLA has had a winning season 2 out of those four years.
After going 14-16 in Year 1, things were looking up in Close’s second year when she had the Bruins go 26-8. UCLA Women’s Basketball had tore through the Pac-12 with a 14-4 record and had momentum going into the Pac-12 Championship Game. Unfortunately, the power house that was #4 Stanford just edged the Bruins, 51-49.
Though it was a loss, it was proof that UCLA was turning things around. Unfortunately, a second round 13-point loss to Oklahoma in the Women’s NCAA Tournament stunted that progress.
The next season did not help either. Though the Bruins had ballers like Antonye Nyingifa, Alyssia Brewer and Thea Lemberger, they could not get anything going as they did the previous year and went 13-18 with a first round Pac-12 Tournament loss.
The bright spot is that Close had bagged the the best recruiting class in the nation that off season. It was the first #1 recruiting class UCLA Women’s Basketball ever had. Jordin Canada, Recee’ Caldwell, Lajahna Drummer, Kelli Hayes and Monique Billings would hand-picked by Close to come in and help a solid core consisting of Nirra Fields, Kori Korver and Corrine Costa.
The Bruins did improve in the 2014-15 season, but it was not until the last few weeks in the postseason that they knew their potential and because of that have a very bright future ahead of them.
Here is the Go Joe Bruin UCLA Women’s Basketball Season Preview…
Next: Roster & Projected Line-Up
Table of Contents
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1. UCLA Women’s Basketball Preview
4. Schedule
5. “The Keys”