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Fox Sports
30-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
How to Watch UCLA vs. LSU: TV Channel, Time, Live Stream - Women's NCAA Tournament Elite Eight 2025
Data Skrive An Elite Eight battle features the No. 1 seed UCLA Bruins (33-2) playing against the No. 3 seed LSU Tigers (31-5) on Sunday at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. This NCAA Tournament contest starts at 3 p.m. ET. Continue scrolling to get everything you need to know ahead of streaming on the UCLA-LSU contest. UCLA vs. LSU Game Information & Streaming Date: Sunday, March 30, 2025 Time: 3 p.m. ET Location: Spokane, Washington Venue: Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena TV: Watch on ABC Follow this game live on FOX Sports Learn more about the UCLA Bruins vs. the LSU Tigers game on FOX Sports! UCLA Insights UCLA's +740 scoring differential (outscoring opponents by 21.2 points per game) is a result of scoring 78.9 points per game (17th in college basketball) while giving up 57.7 per contest (38th in college basketball). Lauren Betts' 20.1 points per game lead the Bruins and rank 20th in college basketball. UCLA wins the rebound battle by 12.4 boards on average. It collects 38.7 rebounds per game, which ranks fourth in college basketball, while its opponents pull down 26.3 per contest. Betts is 30th in college basketball play with 9.7 rebounds per game to lead UCLA. The Bruins make 1.4 more threes per contest than the opposition, 7 (96th in college basketball) compared to their opponents' 5.6. Londynn Jones ranks 143rd in the nation and paces UCLA with two made threes per game. The Bruins record 96.8 points per 100 possessions (11th in college basketball), while allowing 70.9 points per 100 possessions (16th in college basketball). UCLA forces 14.1 turnovers per game (246th in college basketball) while committing 14.7 (142nd in college basketball action). Kiki Rice ranks 358th in college basketball play and leads the Bruins with 1.5 steals per game. UCLA Leaders Betts: 20.1 PTS, 9.7 REB, 2.8 AST, 0.8 STL, 2.9 BLK Rice: 13.1 PTS, 3.5 REB, 5 AST, 1.5 STL, 0.4 BLK Angela Dugalic: 7.6 PTS, 5.8 REB, 2.3 AST, 1.4 STL, 0.8 BLK Gabriela Jaquez: 9.6 PTS, 5.1 REB, 2.2 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.1 BLK Janiah Barker: 7.6 PTS, 6.1 REB, 1.5 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.6 BLK LSU Insights LSU has a +712 scoring differential, topping opponents by 19.8 points per game. It is putting up 85.3 points per game, fourth in college basketball, and is giving up 65.5 per outing to rank 202nd in college basketball. Aneesah Morrow is 35th in college basketball with a team-leading 18.8 points per game. The 42.2 rebounds per game LSU accumulates rank third in the country, 11.0 more than the 31.2 its opponents collect. Morrow paces the team with 13.7 rebounds per game (first in college basketball). The Tigers knock down 4.9 three-pointers per game (285th in college basketball), 1.4 fewer than their opponents. They are shooting 34% from deep (66th in college basketball) and opponents are shooting 26.8%. LSU's Mikaylah Williams hits 1.8 three-pointers per game (212th in college basketball), leading the team. The Tigers' 94.4 points per 100 possessions on offense rank 28th in college basketball, and the 72.5 points they concede per 100 possessions rank 28th in college basketball. LSU has committed 2.8 fewer turnovers than its opponents, averaging 14.3 (116th in college basketball) while forcing 17.1 (78th in college basketball). Morrow ranks 26th in the country and leads the Tigers in steals with 2.5 per game. LSU Leaders Morrow: 18.8 PTS, 13.7 REB, 1.6 AST, 2.5 STL, 0.6 BLK Flau'jae Johnson: 18.3 PTS, 5.6 REB, 2.5 AST, 1.7 STL, 0.9 BLK Williams: 17.5 PTS, 4.4 REB, 3.4 AST, 1.1 STL, 0.4 BLK Sa'Myah Smith: 6.6 PTS, 6.3 REB, 0.7 AST, 0.9 STL, 1.4 BLK Kailyn Gilbert: 9.3 PTS, 2.8 REB, 1.6 AST, 0.8 STL, 0.1 BLK FOX Sports created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience UCLA Bruins LSU Tigers recommended
USA Today
23-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How to watch UCLA vs. Richmond in Women's March Madness: Time, TV channel, streaming
How to watch UCLA vs. Richmond in Women's March Madness: Time, TV channel, streaming The No. 1 seed UCLA Bruins (31-2) look to advance to the Sweet 16 of the women's NCAA Tournament when they face the No. 8 seed Richmond Spiders (28-6) on Sunday at 10 p.m. ET. UCLA enters this matchup on the heels of an 84-46 victory against Southern on Friday. In its last game on Friday, Richmond claimed a 74-49 win against Georgia Tech. Lauren Betts' team-high 14 points paced UCLA in the victory. Maggie Doogan scored a team-leading 30 points for Richmond in the win. UCLA vs. Richmond TV channel NCAA Tournament Location: Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California Date: Sunday, March 23, 2025 Sunday, March 23, 2025 Time: 10 p.m. ET 10 p.m. ET TV channel: ESPN (watch on Fubo) ESPN (watch on Fubo) Stream: Fubo What time is UCLA vs. Richmond basketball today? UCLA and Richmond play at 10 p.m. ET. Watch Richmond vs. UCLA with Fubo UCLA vs. Richmond odds, lines, spread Spread: UCLA -14.5 UCLA -14.5 Total: 133.5 133.5 Moneyline: UCLA -1724, Richmond +940 UCLA has seen a downturn in scoring recently, putting up 74.6 points per game in its last 10 contests, 4.2 points fewer than the 78.8 it has scored this year. Richmond is scoring 65.3 points per contest over its last 10 games, which is 6.8 fewer points than its average for the season (72.1). March Madness Second Round schedule Duke Blue Devils (2) vs. Oregon Ducks (10): Sunday, 12 p.m. ET on ESPN Sunday, 12 p.m. ET on ESPN Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3) vs. Michigan Wolverines (6): Sunday, 1 p.m. ET on ABC Sunday, 1 p.m. ET on ABC Kentucky Wildcats (4) vs. Kansas State Wildcats (5): Sunday, 2 p.m. ET on ESPN Sunday, 2 p.m. ET on ESPN South Carolina Gamecocks (1) vs. Indiana Hoosiers (9): Sunday, 3 p.m. ET on ABC Sunday, 3 p.m. ET on ABC Missouri State Bears (3) vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers (2): Sunday, 3 p.m. ET Sunday, 3 p.m. ET Baylor Bears (4) vs. Ole Miss Rebels (5): Sunday, 4 p.m. ET on ESPN Sunday, 4 p.m. ET on ESPN TCU Horned Frogs (2) vs. Louisville Cardinals (7): Sunday, 6 p.m. ET on ESPN Sunday, 6 p.m. ET on ESPN Ohio State Buckeyes (4) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (5): Sunday, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN Sunday, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN UCLA Bruins (1) vs. Richmond Spiders (8): Sunday, 10 p.m. ET on ESPN UCLA Bruins basketball schedule Richmond Spiders basketball schedule Watch Richmond vs. UCLA with Fubo
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UCLA is the top seed in women's March Madness. It only took 36,000 miles to get there
The most remarkable number to define UCLA's season is not No. 1 — the overall seed it has in this year's women's NCAA Tournament. Nor is it 43 (team rebounds per game), 2.9 (All-American Lauren Betts' blocks per game) or 30 (total wins, including the Big Ten title). It's 36,116 — as in miles in the air, a distance that equates to, roughly, one and a half trips around the world. Or, if you're into astronomical numbers, one-seventh of the way to the moon. Or, if it's difficult to comprehend that distance, consider: The Bruins spent 78 hours and 16 minutes in the air this season, which equates to about three and one-quarter days. The Bruins' route to being a tournament championship contender includes traveling more than any team in the country. Their move into the Big Ten increased their travel significantly, and a trip to Paris for a season-opener against Louisville and a Thanksgiving tournament in Hawaii continued to tack on the miles for these frequent fliers. 'It felt like we were in the air for a while, honestly. … But, at the same time, it felt like it's what we do,' guard Kiki Rice said. 'We get our schedule, we get on the plane, we leave L.A., we land wherever we land, and we get to work.' UCLA has been aware of its impending cross-country conference move for a few years. With that in mind, coach Cori Close scheduled several eastbound trips for her Bruins to give them (and the staff) an idea of what was coming and how to fight against potential pitfalls. Two years ago, they played at South Carolina — a 2,130-mile flight — and flew in the day before the game and left immediately after. A Sweet 16 flight last season to Albany on a red-eye that stopped for fuel proved small jets were a no-go for the upcoming Big Ten season. 'It was: How can we figure out all the things that are pulling on these kids, and what are all the things that can be interferences on the road? And how do you mitigate those within as much proactive planning as you can?' Close case you haven't heard #NCAAWBB x @UCLAWBB NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 10, 2025 Close worked with her staff of trainers and dieticians and even consulted with sleep scientists to best minimize the negative impact of long and frequent travel. These are the numbers that best illustrate how UCLA got to the top of the country in both mileage and basketball: Big Ten miles flown: 18,038 The move into the Big Ten accounts for much of the Bruins' heavy travel schedule this season. UCLA flew 18,038 miles for conference games, which is significantly more than its non-West Coast conference counterparts, and more than double the mileage the Bruins flew during their final Pac-12 conference season (7,071). That conference mileage is nearly the entire travel time of what UCLA flew last season, which included trips to nonconference games at Ohio State and Arkansas and a tournament in the Cayman Islands — 19,302 miles. Though UCLA didn't fly the most miles in the Big Ten, it did log more air miles when calculating its total travel schedule. The new addition West Coast schools obviously were in the air longer than their Big Ten counterparts from, say, the Midwest or East Coast. Complicating matters for UCLA, a Big Ten rule requires teams to spend two days of preparation in between games (in the Pac-12 conference games were played on Friday-Sunday). This is of little concern for Midwest-based programs — they fly home between games. But a return cross-country flight isn't an option for UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington, so in addition to seeing new conference arenas and practice facilities this season, the Bruins also toured Midwest towns. 'It depended on the day,' Rice said. 'It was a lot of nap time or hanging out in the hotel room. One day, we went to the spa, or we had options to go to a mall or the movies. … They really tried to give us options.' Nights in a hotel (or a redeye): 30 Sleep goal: Nine hours per night After consulting with sleep scientists, Close knew for the Bruins to win on the court, getting shut-eye off it was important. For flights less than three hours, UCLA used a retrofitted smaller plane that was equipped to fit 52 seats, but with rows removed for just 30 so players could stretch out. Flights longer than three hours meant UCLA flew on larger jets, giving players full rows to stretch out. 'How you maintain sleep schedules, recovery, continuing to build muscle, aggression — all of those things really started with protecting sleep,' Close said. 'It really did start with prioritizing sleep schedules.' This meant ensuring 'nap time' on longer flights (but nothing longer than one hour), assuming the Bruins' flight and travel time to the hotel allowed for that, so players could maintain a West Coast sleep schedule no matter where games took them. On road trips, UCLA altered travel schedules, always working back from a 9 p.m. (PT) bedtime at their destination with a 6 a.m. (PT) wake-up time. Not everyone took advantage of nap times on flights. Guard Charlisse Leger-Walker, who redshirted this season, didn't need to rigorously commit to sleep schedules. Instead, she hit the books. Between her academic and leisure reads, Leger-Walker led the team in literature. Coaches knew when they looked at the back of the plane, if anyone's overhead light was on — it was Leger-Walker's. Leger-Walker's pages read: 4,635 (per Goodreads) Before each road trip, players were given a small travel bag that included snacks, water bottles, eye masks and the Bruins' secret weapon for prioritizing sleep, tart cherry juice concentrate (or, for players who don't like concentrate, tart cherry juice gummies). UCLA performance dietician Delaney Smith said these concentrates became a staple for the Bruins given the research that backs tart cherry's ability to reduce inflammation, aid in recovery and act as a natural melatonin in the body. Players took two ounces of juice concentrate one hour before bedtime to ensure a restful (and fruitful) sleep after every game and every flight. 'That was beneficial,' Smith said. 'It just became habit for the athletes.' Tart cherry juice concentrate consumed: 12.25 cups per player As a team, the Bruins drank almost 160 cups, which amounts to 10 gallons or 106 standard soda-can sizes of the beverage. Rice said she enjoyed the taste of the concentrate, but not so for all of her teammates. Wing Gabriela Jaquez was not a fan. 'It was tart and sour, and ehh,' Jaquez said. 'I'm making a face right now, but I can't even really describe it.' For players like Jaquez, Smith replaced the concentrate with the gummies that had an equivalent amount of nutrition. In addition to the recovery benefits from the tart cherry juice, Smith emphasized hydration throughout the season, especially while flying. 'Flying in a plane with the elevation changes and the pressurized cabin, you get really dried out,' Smith said. 'All the coaches and staff are just making sure that everyone always has water in their hands and are rehydrating. So that was a big push.' At home, Smith did what she could to keep water accessible during practice, in the training room and locker room, but it became a bigger challenge on the road and in the air. She wanted to ensure that each player drank 16 ounces of water during every one hour of flight time. With more than 78 hours of flying — that was significant. Water consumed in the air: 1,248 ounces per player Individually, each player drank 156 cups of water while flying, which means as a team, the Bruins drank nearly two bathtubs worth of water or nearly 140 gallons of water. Smith also used hydration tests. Smith would tap a measurement strip on players' tongues that were then placed into a hydration level reader called an osmometer, which calculated the salivary osmolarity of their saliva. This device spits out numbers that correlate into four categories: hydrated, mildly dehydrated, moderately dehydrated and severely dehydrated. Lower scores equated to a stronger level of hydration. And yes, on a team of ultra-competitive individuals, it came as no surprise that even hydration levels became a point of pride. 'We would be pretty competitive about it,' Rice said. 'Like, whoever had the lowest score, we'd always cheer. … I'm usually pretty hydrated. I definitely didn't win every time, but I was usually on the more hydrated side.'Off to Indy! #GoBruins UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) March 5, 2025 Finding good food on the road is always a challenge, whether you're an elite athlete or a road warrior on a cross-country RV trip. For UCLA, Smith and Close focused on snacks that were high in liquidity and something they believed players would actually eat. That brought them to three main items: applesauce pouches, fruit snacks and grapes. As a team during the season, they ate: • 380 applesauce pouches • 760 fruit snacks • 400 pounds of grapes Applesauce pouches were an easy snack while fruit snacks divided the Bruins into 'Team Welch' and 'Team Mott,' for which Smith needed to make sure to have both. Grapes were a constant at practice (three pounds per practice) and during games (five pounds per game). Between the start of the season and the end of February, the Bruins received 10 more off days than they did last season during their final Pac-12 season. Additionally, Close monitored numbers produced from players' wearable devices that measure load during practices to adjust quickly to make sure players, and the team as a whole, didn't overdo it. 'I've been more reliant on the science of load in how we practice,' Close said. 'We just made some tweaks the last couple weeks about things that we're just not going to do live anymore, to sort of minimize some of the wear and tear.' A lot of those off days came after cross-country trips, so players didn't always feel like it was an off day, but Jaquez said that using those days for recovery — however that looked for each player — has been paramount to the Bruins' success. 'I remember being a freshman, I was like, no way do their bodies just hurt after practice. But it does. It's real because I've definitely felt a lot more pain this year,' Jaquez said. 'Getting older and playing so many basketball games, I think I've just tried to focus on a lot of recovery and not doing too much to my body.' Establishing norms and schedules was paramount this season as seemingly every other factor — air travel, schedules, hotel stays — put stress on the Bruins' bodies. Focusing on what would stay the same, instead of what would drastically change, gave UCLA a chance to do something special. Now, the Bruins are the No. 1 overall seed with a viable path to their first Final Four. Just two more flights, to Spokane and Tampa. Easy, right? The Athletic This article originally appeared in The Athletic. UCLA Bruins, Sports Business, Women's College Basketball, Women's NCAA Tournament 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
20-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
UCLA is the top seed in women's March Madness. It only took 36,000 miles to get there
The most remarkable number to define UCLA's season is not No. 1 — the overall seed it has in this year's women's NCAA Tournament. Nor is it 43 (team rebounds per game), 2.9 (All-American Lauren Betts' blocks per game) or 30 (total wins, including the Big Ten title). It's 36,116 — as in miles in the air, a distance that equates to, roughly, one and a half trips around the world. Or, if you're into astronomical numbers, one-seventh of the way to the moon. Or, if it's difficult to comprehend that distance, consider: The Bruins spent 78 hours and 16 minutes in the air this season, which equates to about three and one-quarter days. Advertisement The Bruins' route to being a tournament championship contender includes traveling more than any team in the country. Their move into the Big Ten increased their travel significantly, and a trip to Paris for a season-opener against Louisville and a Thanksgiving tournament in Hawaii continued to tack on the miles for these frequent fliers. 'It felt like we were in the air for a while, honestly. … But, at the same time, it felt like it's what we do,' guard Kiki Rice said. 'We get our schedule, we get on the plane, we leave L.A., we land wherever we land, and we get to work.' UCLA has been aware of its impending cross-country conference move for a few years. With that in mind, coach Cori Close scheduled several eastbound trips for her Bruins to give them (and the staff) an idea of what was coming and how to fight against potential pitfalls. Two years ago, they played at South Carolina — a 2,130-mile flight — and flew in the day before the game and left immediately after. A Sweet 16 flight last season to Albany on a red-eye that stopped for fuel proved small jets were a no-go for the upcoming Big Ten season. 'It was: How can we figure out all the things that are pulling on these kids, and what are all the things that can be interferences on the road? And how do you mitigate those within as much proactive planning as you can?' Close said. In case you haven't heard #NCAAWBB x @UCLAWBB — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 10, 2025 Close worked with her staff of trainers and dieticians and even consulted with sleep scientists to best minimize the negative impact of long and frequent travel. These are the numbers that best illustrate how UCLA got to the top of the country in both mileage and basketball: Big Ten miles flown: 18,038 The move into the Big Ten accounts for much of the Bruins' heavy travel schedule this season. UCLA flew 18,038 miles for conference games, which is significantly more than its non-West Coast conference counterparts, and more than double the mileage the Bruins flew during their final Pac-12 conference season (7,071). That conference mileage is nearly the entire travel time of what UCLA flew last season, which included trips to nonconference games at Ohio State and Arkansas and a tournament in the Cayman Islands — 19,302 miles. Though UCLA didn't fly the most miles in the Big Ten, it did log more air miles when calculating its total travel schedule. The new addition West Coast schools obviously were in the air longer than their Big Ten counterparts from, say, the Midwest or East Coast. Complicating matters for UCLA, a Big Ten rule requires teams to spend two days of preparation in between games (in the Pac-12 conference games were played on Friday-Sunday). This is of little concern for Midwest-based programs — they fly home between games. But a return cross-country flight isn't an option for UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington, so in addition to seeing new conference arenas and practice facilities this season, the Bruins also toured Midwest towns. Advertisement 'It depended on the day,' Rice said. 'It was a lot of nap time or hanging out in the hotel room. One day, we went to the spa, or we had options to go to a mall or the movies. … They really tried to give us options.' Nights in a hotel (or a redeye): 30 Sleep goal: Nine hours per night After consulting with sleep scientists, Close knew for the Bruins to win on the court, getting shut-eye off it was important. For flights less than three hours, UCLA used a retrofitted smaller plane that was equipped to fit 52 seats, but with rows removed for just 30 so players could stretch out. Flights longer than three hours meant UCLA flew on larger jets, giving players full rows to stretch out. 'How you maintain sleep schedules, recovery, continuing to build muscle, aggression — all of those things really started with protecting sleep,' Close said. 'It really did start with prioritizing sleep schedules.' This meant ensuring 'nap time' on longer flights (but nothing longer than one hour), assuming the Bruins' flight and travel time to the hotel allowed for that, so players could maintain a West Coast sleep schedule no matter where games took them. On road trips, UCLA altered travel schedules, always working back from a 9 p.m. (PT) bedtime at their destination with a 6 a.m. (PT) wake-up time. Not everyone took advantage of nap times on flights. Guard Charlisse Leger-Walker, who redshirted this season, didn't need to rigorously commit to sleep schedules. Instead, she hit the books. Between her academic and leisure reads, Leger-Walker led the team in literature. Coaches knew when they looked at the back of the plane, if anyone's overhead light was on — it was Leger-Walker's. Leger-Walker's pages read: 4,635 (per Goodreads) Before each road trip, players were given a small travel bag that included snacks, water bottles, eye masks and the Bruins' secret weapon for prioritizing sleep, tart cherry juice concentrate (or, for players who don't like concentrate, tart cherry juice gummies). Advertisement UCLA performance dietician Delaney Smith said these concentrates became a staple for the Bruins given the research that backs tart cherry's ability to reduce inflammation, aid in recovery and act as a natural melatonin in the body. Players took two ounces of juice concentrate one hour before bedtime to ensure a restful (and fruitful) sleep after every game and every flight. 'That was beneficial,' Smith said. 'It just became habit for the athletes.' Tart cherry juice concentrate consumed: 12.25 cups per player As a team, the Bruins drank almost 160 cups, which amounts to 10 gallons or 106 standard soda-can sizes of the beverage. Rice said she enjoyed the taste of the concentrate, but not so for all of her teammates. Wing Gabriela Jaquez was not a fan. 'It was tart and sour, and ehh,' Jaquez said. 'I'm making a face right now, but I can't even really describe it.' For players like Jaquez, Smith replaced the concentrate with the gummies that had an equivalent amount of nutrition. In addition to the recovery benefits from the tart cherry juice, Smith emphasized hydration throughout the season, especially while flying. 'Flying in a plane with the elevation changes and the pressurized cabin, you get really dried out,' Smith said. 'All the coaches and staff are just making sure that everyone always has water in their hands and are rehydrating. So that was a big push.' At home, Smith did what she could to keep water accessible during practice, in the training room and locker room, but it became a bigger challenge on the road and in the air. She wanted to ensure that each player drank 16 ounces of water during every one hour of flight time. With more than 78 hours of flying — that was significant. Water consumed in the air: 1,248 ounces per player Individually, each player drank 156 cups of water while flying, which means as a team, the Bruins drank nearly two bathtubs worth of water or nearly 140 gallons of water. Advertisement Smith also used hydration tests. Smith would tap a measurement strip on players' tongues that were then placed into a hydration level reader called an osmometer, which calculated the salivary osmolarity of their saliva. This device spits out numbers that correlate into four categories: hydrated, mildly dehydrated, moderately dehydrated and severely dehydrated. Lower scores equated to a stronger level of hydration. And yes, on a team of ultra-competitive individuals, it came as no surprise that even hydration levels became a point of pride. 'We would be pretty competitive about it,' Rice said. 'Like, whoever had the lowest score, we'd always cheer. … I'm usually pretty hydrated. I definitely didn't win every time, but I was usually on the more hydrated side.' Off to Indy! #GoBruins — UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) March 5, 2025 Finding good food on the road is always a challenge, whether you're an elite athlete or a road warrior on a cross-country RV trip. For UCLA, Smith and Close focused on snacks that were high in liquidity and something they believed players would actually eat. That brought them to three main items: applesauce pouches, fruit snacks and grapes. As a team during the season, they ate: • 380 applesauce pouches • 760 fruit snacks • 400 pounds of grapes Applesauce pouches were an easy snack while fruit snacks divided the Bruins into 'Team Welch' and 'Team Mott,' for which Smith needed to make sure to have both. Grapes were a constant at practice (three pounds per practice) and during games (five pounds per game). Between the start of the season and the end of February, the Bruins received 10 more off days than they did last season during their final Pac-12 season. Additionally, Close monitored numbers produced from players' wearable devices that measure load during practices to adjust quickly to make sure players, and the team as a whole, didn't overdo it. Advertisement 'I've been more reliant on the science of load in how we practice,' Close said. 'We just made some tweaks the last couple weeks about things that we're just not going to do live anymore, to sort of minimize some of the wear and tear.' A lot of those off days came after cross-country trips, so players didn't always feel like it was an off day, but Jaquez said that using those days for recovery — however that looked for each player — has been paramount to the Bruins' success. 'I remember being a freshman, I was like, no way do their bodies just hurt after practice. But it does. It's real because I've definitely felt a lot more pain this year,' Jaquez said. 'Getting older and playing so many basketball games, I think I've just tried to focus on a lot of recovery and not doing too much to my body.' Establishing norms and schedules was paramount this season as seemingly every other factor — air travel, schedules, hotel stays — put stress on the Bruins' bodies. Focusing on what would stay the same, instead of what would drastically change, gave UCLA a chance to do something special. Now, the Bruins are the No. 1 overall seed with a viable path to their first Final Four. Just two more flights, to Spokane and Tampa. Easy, right? (Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; Photo of Lauren Betts courtesy of UCLA Athletics)
USA Today
30-01-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Lauren Betts 'grateful' for her UCLA amidst her breakout season
During UCLA's center Lauren Betts' media availability on Wednesday, the junior was asked about her season thus far. 20 games in, Betts has led the Bruins to an undefeated record and has placed herself firmly in the mix for National Player of the Year consideration. 'I'm just really grateful,' Betts said, as she's averaging 21.0 points per game and 9.9 rebounds. 'It has a lot to do with the program that I'm at, my teammates and my coaches. I think that the way that I've grown has a lot to do with how much they push me every single day.' While Betts' Bruin teammates have been pushing her, Betts has been pushing opposing teams' shots back, with 3.0 blocks per game which ranks fourth in all of women's basketball. Betts currently owns the third-best odds to win the Wooden Award, behind USC's JuJu Watkins and Norte Dame's Hannah Hidalgo. 'I'm just playing a lot lighter,' Betts said, speaking of the mental aspect of the game rather than anything to do with her playing weight. 'I feel a lot more free when I'm playing. I'm not really about outside noise as much. I just go on the court and my biggest priority is to do what I have to do to make the team win.' She's done a pretty good job of that and Betts is coming off of her best offensive performance as a collegiate player, with 33 points off of 14-15 shooting in UCLA's win over Maryland on Sunday.
