Latest news with #CoriClose
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UCLA was trounced by UConn, but can the Bruins get back to the Final Four next season?
UCLA was trounced by UConn, but can the Bruins get back to the Final Four next season? UCLA was trounced by UConn, but can the Bruins get back to the Final Four next season? TAMPA — As the UCLA starters congregated before tip-off against UConn, joy radiated from the Bruins. The players had emphasized in the days leading up to the national semifinal that they expected to be at the Final Four – they were the No. 1 overall seed, after all – but they couldn't hide their smiles when the moment arrived. Advertisement On the other side of the court, the Huskies were all business. No one on UConn's roster would be satisfied, let alone happy, if the season were to end Friday. The difference between a program experiencing its first Final Four in the NCAA Tournament era and one in its 24th, seeking its 12th national title, could not have been more stark. And the disparity bore out during the contest, as the Huskies decisively took down the newcomers, 85-51, the largest margin of victory ever in a Final Four game. For all of the success the Bruins achieved in a historic season in Los Angeles, they didn't come close to matching the level of UConn. They couldn't complete passes in the half court and turned the ball over on multiple dribble hand-offs. They rushed what open shots they could create. They seemed lost on their defensive execution, miscommunicating on how to handle the Huskies' screening actions inside the arc. UConn played what its coach Geno Auriemma called a mistake-free game. UCLA was uncharacteristically sloppy. The Bruins lost the game with 14 turnovers in the first half, leading to 19 points for the Huskies; UCLA only had 22 points total at intermission. Advertisement 'We got exposed,' coach Cori Close said. 'We got our butts kicked today. And it stings right now.' The Bruins had been in big games throughout the season. A showdown against the then-undefeated defending champions in November. Two matchups against USC with Big Ten regular-season title implications. The conference championship against those same Trojans. And the escalating scale of each game in the NCAA Tournament. Those experiences weren't enough to prepare them for what awaited against UConn. Something about the Final Four, with the eyes of the entire women's basketball community on that singular game, caused UCLA to shrink in the limelight. Close acknowledged that she wasn't a good enough leader in her first trip to this stage, saying, 'The reality is you have to go experience it.' Advertisement 'It's hard when we haven't been in this moment, but I still think that we're obviously a much better team than what we showed today,' junior guard Kiki Rice said. The Bruins won't be able to back up that statement until next season, but they could return the entirety of their roster. Only Angela Dugalić is a senior, and she still has an additional year of eligibility due to medically redshirting the 2022-23 season. All of the continuity this team has built can be carried forward. But there are no guarantees. Dugalić could go pro, as could Lauren Betts (though she has repeatedly rejected that possibility since she wants to play with her sister) and junior Janiah Barker. Anyone could enter the transfer portal. And what was mostly a healthy season in 2024-25 doesn't have to be next year. UCLA is poised for future success and has taken meaningful steps forward since this core arrived on campus as the No. 1 recruiting class in 2022. That doesn't mean progress is linear. Advertisement Across town, USC was a title contender less than two weeks ago and is now entering the 2025-26 season with two rotation players from their Elite Eight team. Los Angeles Sparks coach Lynne Roberts, who was in attendance Friday supporting Close, coached a Utah team that came within two free throws of beating eventual champion LSU in the 2023 NCAA Tournament; the Utes brought back everyone who averaged more than 10 minutes the following year but suffered injuries and couldn't recapture the same magic. Opportunities have to be seized in the moment. To be two games away from a national championship and play their worst game of the season should haunt the Bruins. 'Our urgency and our competitiveness, I think we kind of lacked that a little bit today, just recognizing that this is the Final Four and our season is on the line,' Betts said. 'We really need to recognize the moment that we're in and play like it.' This group at UCLA has bounced back from failures and disappointments. Blowing a fourth-quarter lead in the Sweet 16 to LSU motivated the entire team to improve its toughness in the offseason. Losing the Big Ten regular-season title led to a players-only meeting that resulted in a conference tournament title. Advertisement They know how to take the requisite lessons from defeat and get better in the process. When Betts said postgame she hoped the loss would fuel them and inspire some anger in her teammates, she has witnessed that first-hand. Since 1995, when UConn won its first championship, only two teams have won it all in their first trip to the Final Four. Baylor defeated a fellow first-timer (Michigan State) in 2005, and Texas A&M beat a three-time semifinalist in Notre Dame. The experience gap for the Bruins and the Huskies was much larger than either of those situations. Regardless of their internal expectations, there isn't much surprise in UCLA coming up short in this attempt. This is the only time that the Bruins get to use this excuse, though. Now, they know the standard they need to live up to from the moment they begin offseason workouts and fall practices. UConn has turned the Final Four into an annual rite of passage for its program. For UCLA, this has to be another stepping stone as the Bruins continue their pursuit of that standard. Advertisement This article originally appeared in The Athletic. UCLA Bruins, Women's College Basketball, Women's NCAA Tournament 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
05-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
UCLA was trounced by UConn, but can the Bruins get back to the Final Four next season?
TAMPA — As the UCLA starters congregated before tip-off against UConn, joy radiated from the Bruins. The players had emphasized in the days leading up to the national semifinal that they expected to be at the Final Four – they were the No. 1 overall seed, after all – but they couldn't hide their smiles when the moment arrived. Advertisement On the other side of the court, the Huskies were all business. No one on UConn's roster would be satisfied, let alone happy, if the season were to end Friday. The difference between a program experiencing its first Final Four in the NCAA Tournament era and one in its 24th, seeking its 12th national title, could not have been more stark. And the disparity bore out during the contest, as the Huskies decisively took down the newcomers, 85-51, the largest margin of victory ever in a Final Four game. For all of the success the Bruins achieved in a historic season in Los Angeles, they didn't come close to matching the level of UConn. They couldn't complete passes in the half court and turned the ball over on multiple dribble hand-offs. They rushed what open shots they could create. They seemed lost on their defensive execution, miscommunicating on how to handle the Huskies' screening actions inside the arc. UConn played what its coach Geno Auriemma called a mistake-free game. UCLA was uncharacteristically sloppy. The Bruins lost the game with 14 turnovers in the first half, leading to 19 points for the Huskies; UCLA only had 22 points total at intermission. 'We got exposed,' coach Cori Close said. 'We got our butts kicked today. And it stings right now.' 🔵🔵🔵🔵#GoBruins — UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) April 5, 2025 The Bruins had been in big games throughout the season. A showdown against the then-undefeated defending champions in November. Two matchups against USC with Big Ten regular-season title implications. The conference championship against those same Trojans. And the escalating scale of each game in the NCAA Tournament. Those experiences weren't enough to prepare them for what awaited against UConn. Something about the Final Four, with the eyes of the entire women's basketball community on that singular game, caused UCLA to shrink in the limelight. Close acknowledged that she wasn't a good enough leader in her first trip to this stage, saying, 'The reality is you have to go experience it.' 'It's hard when we haven't been in this moment, but I still think that we're obviously a much better team than what we showed today,' junior guard Kiki Rice said. Advertisement The Bruins won't be able to back up that statement until next season, but they could return the entirety of their roster. Only Angela Dugalić is a senior, and she still has an additional year of eligibility due to medically redshirting the 2022-23 season. All of the continuity this team has built can be carried forward. But there are no guarantees. Dugalić could go pro, as could Lauren Betts (though she has repeatedly rejected that possibility since she wants to play with her sister) and junior Janiah Barker. Anyone could enter the transfer portal. And what was mostly a healthy season in 2024-25 doesn't have to be next year. UCLA is poised for future success and has taken meaningful steps forward since this core arrived on campus as the No. 1 recruiting class in 2022. That doesn't mean progress is linear. Across town, USC was a title contender less than two weeks ago and is now entering the 2025-26 season with two rotation players from their Elite Eight team. Los Angeles Sparks coach Lynne Roberts, who was in attendance Friday supporting Close, coached a Utah team that came within two free throws of beating eventual champion LSU in the 2023 NCAA Tournament; the Utes brought back everyone who averaged more than 10 minutes the following year but suffered injuries and couldn't recapture the same magic. Opportunities have to be seized in the moment. To be two games away from a national championship and play their worst game of the season should haunt the Bruins. 'Our urgency and our competitiveness, I think we kind of lacked that a little bit today, just recognizing that this is the Final Four and our season is on the line,' Betts said. 'We really need to recognize the moment that we're in and play like it.' This group at UCLA has bounced back from failures and disappointments. Blowing a fourth-quarter lead in the Sweet 16 to LSU motivated the entire team to improve its toughness in the offseason. Losing the Big Ten regular-season title led to a players-only meeting that resulted in a conference tournament title. Advertisement They know how to take the requisite lessons from defeat and get better in the process. When Betts said postgame she hoped the loss would fuel them and inspire some anger in her teammates, she has witnessed that first-hand. Since 1995, when UConn won its first championship, only two teams have won it all in their first trip to the Final Four. Baylor defeated a fellow first-timer (Michigan State) in 2005, and Texas A&M beat a three-time semifinalist in Notre Dame. The experience gap for the Bruins and the Huskies was much larger than either of those situations. Regardless of their internal expectations, there isn't much surprise in UCLA coming up short in this attempt. This is the only time that the Bruins get to use this excuse, though. Now, they know the standard they need to live up to from the moment they begin offseason workouts and fall practices. UConn has turned the Final Four into an annual rite of passage for its program. For UCLA, this has to be another stepping stone as the Bruins continue their pursuit of that standard. (Photo of Lauren Betts: Thien-An Truong / ISI Photos / Getty Images)
USA Today
04-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How to watch UConn vs. UCLA in March Madness Final Four: Time, TV channel, streaming
How to watch UConn vs. UCLA in March Madness Final Four: Time, TV channel, streaming Show Caption Hide Caption How UCLA head coach Cori Close learned from Geno Auriemma UCLA head coach Cori Close spoke to the media ahead of the Final Four and discussed how Geno Auriemma opened his door for her several years ago. Sports Pulse A Final Four battle features the No. 2 seed UConn Huskies (35-3) and the No. 1 seed UCLA Bruins (34-2) playing with a trip to the national championship game up for grabs on Friday at Amalie Arena. The NCAA Tournament contest starts at 9:30 p.m. ET, on ESPN. In its most recent matchup on Monday, UConn earned a 78-64 victory against USC. UCLA's last outing on Sunday ended in a 72-65 win over LSU. Paige Bueckers scored a team-leading 31 points for UConn in the win. Gabriela Jaquez scored 18 points in UCLA's win, leading the team. UConn vs. UCLA TV channel NCAA Tournament Location: Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida Date: Friday, April 4, 2025 Friday, April 4, 2025 Time: 9:30 p.m. ET 9:30 p.m. ET TV channel: ESPN (watch on Fubo) ESPN (watch on Fubo) Stream: Fubo What time is UConn vs. UCLA basketball today? UConn and UCLA play at 9:30 p.m. ET. Watch UCLA vs. UConn with Fubo UConn vs. UCLA odds, lines, spread Spread: UConn -7.5 UConn -7.5 Total: 135.5 135.5 Moneyline: UConn -385, UCLA +298 On the offensive side of the ball, UConn has picked up its production slightly over its last 10 games, scoring 82.7 points per contest over that span compared to the 81.6 it has put up over the course of this year. UCLA is posting 77.3 points per game over its previous 10 games, which is 1.4 fewer points than its average for the season (78.7). March Madness Final Four schedule UConn Huskies basketball schedule UCLA Bruins basketball schedule Watch UCLA vs. UConn with Fubo
USA Today
04-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
What time is UConn vs UCLA in women's basketball Final Four? Game date, location, info
What time is UConn vs UCLA in women's basketball Final Four? Game date, location, info Show Caption Hide Caption Which celebrities would make players nervous sitting courtside? The women's Final Four will surely be well-attended by top celebrities so we asked players who would make them nervous if they were sitting courtside. Sports Seriously The Final Four of the 2025 NCAA women's basketball tournament features some of the heavy hitters of the sport, from historic powers to modern-day dynasties to upstarts looking to make history. The second of the two national semifinals embodies many of the event's most compelling storylines. UConn's matchup with UCLA Friday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida will do more than just determine which team will make the national title game. REQUIRED READING: Why UCLA coach Cori Close got emotional talking about star Lauren Betts, UConn's Azzi Fudd The contest will feature some of the country's best players on a single court, a group highlighted by a pair of first-team All-Americans in Huskies guard Paige Bueckers and Bruins center Lauren Betts. UConn, the lone non-No. 1 seed in the Final Four, comes to Florida as the betting favorite to win its 12th national title while UCLA, the tournament's No. 1 overall seed, is in the Final Four for the first time in program history. Here's what you need to know about the game, including the tip-off time, date, location and more: UConn vs UCLA start time Date : Friday, March 4 : Friday, March 4 Start time: 9:30 p.m. ET UConn and UCLA women's basketball are set to tip off at 9:30 p.m. ET on Friday, March 4, following the conclusion of South Carolina vs Texas. REQUIRED READING: March Madness 2025: AI predicts women's Final Four, national championship winners Women's Final Four location Location: Amalie Arena (Tampa, Florida) The 2025 NCAA women's basketball tournament Final Four will be held at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, the home venue of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning. It's the fourth time since 2008 and the first time since 2019 that the arena has hosted the women's Final Four. That run included the 2015 Final Four, which UConn won to claim its 10th national championship. Watch UConn vs UCLA women's basketball live with Fubo (free trial) What channel is UConn vs UCLA on today? TV channel : ESPN : ESPN Live stream: ESPN App | ESPN+ | Fubo (free trial) UConn and UCLA women's basketball's matchup in the 2025 Final Four will air on ESPN. Streaming options for the game include the ESPN App, ESPN+ — ESPN's subscription streaming service — and Fubo, the last of which offers a free trial for potential subscribers. We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
Washington Post
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
UCLA's Cori Close is the AP Coach of the Year after a historic season for the top-seeded Bruins
TAMPA, Fla. — Cori Close, who led UCLA to its first women's Final Four during one of the best seasons in school history, was named The Associated Press Coach of the Year on Thursday. The Bruins earned the No. 1 ranking in the AP Top 25 for the first time, holding the spot for 14 weeks as they piled up win after win on their way to grabbing the top overall seed in the women's NCAA Tournament.
