UCLA Women’s Basketball: Bruins Need A Statement Win Against South Carolina
The UCLA Women’s Basketball team have a chance to make a statement against #6 South Carolina and show the nation they have arrived.
It is time to pull up some sleeves and put on the gloves because the UCLA Women’s Basketball team is heading into a battle that could define the Cori Close era.
In three years, UCLA has grown into a Top 10 team, but they have not won anything legitimate yet. It is part of the process.
In the last two seasons prior to this one, the Bruins have won a WNIT Championship and returned to the Sweet Sixteen. This year, they are expected to win the Pac-12 and possibly go farther in the NCAA Tournament.
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That will come in time, but for now, the Bruins need to prove that they are not only one of the best teams in the nation, but that they can beat the best in the nation.
Against the Top 25 in the last three years (including the early part of this season), UCLA is 4-18, with three of those wins against the Pac-12. This includes the year they went to the WNIT, which before their championship run, was a bit of a disappointment.
But we can put the record into better perspective. Last year when the Bruins started to surge, they went 3-7 against the Top 25. They improved, but the Bruins still had a ways to go.
Although, to their credit, they nearly defeated #2 South Carolina at Pauley Pavilion, 68-65, and took #3 Notre Dame to overtime in a 92-84 loss.
Next: Bruins Stay Put At #9 in the AP Poll
So the Bruins are almost there, now they need to get over that hump. Hopefully we see that on Sunday at South Carolina. They have the coaching from Close, they have the muscle behind Jordin Canada and Monique Billings, now they need to execute. Go Bruins!