Phoenix, AZ- “Delayed, but not denied” were sentiments expressed by South Carolina head Coach Dawn Staley to describe UCLA head coach Cori Close’s coaching career journey which could also sum up her team’s drive fueled off a disheartening Final Four loss to top it off this season with a dominant championship victory, 79-51 while leaving no doubts of determination as they danced their way into history as the 126th NCAA women’s champions on a 31 game win streak at the Mortgage Matchup Center on Easter Sunday.
“Today was just a fantastic display of our resilience and the intensity that we came out with just our will to win and we knew we had a feeling like this was our time,” senior guard, All-Tourney team KiKi Rice said. “And this was our year and you know we came out there this entire weekend and we would not be denied…”
UCLA scored on the opening drive after winning the tip and dragged out this lead in dramatic fashion for the rest of the game as SC was unable to detour or deny a road to victory.
“We all just decided and I think that’s what made us so powerful this whole season when we decided we wanted to do something. We did it and I’m just so proud of coach Cori and the way that she responded as a leader from last year,” senior guard and All Tourney team Gabriela Jaques said. “I think we all responded really well…it just really started with coach Cori and the way that she wanted to make a change in our program and get us back here and get this result…I’ll always be thankful for her and her believing in me…. Yeah. Even if I’m late, I’m here.”
Lauren Betts achieved Most Outstanding Player with another career double double, 14 points and 11 boards, as immediately from the jump ball until she got subbed out the final minutes of the game, she disrupted the Gamecocks defense and offense with either demanding double and triple teams or forcing South Carolina to be distant shooters or deftly scorers.
“I think the confidence that we came out with, we just knew we were going to win because of all the prep and the work that we put in,” Betts said. “And, I think when we find a way to play together and play selflessly and just do what we do, like no one can stop us and you guys saw that.“
UCLA went up 21-10 in the first period like they were a team filled with players experienced on playing on this stage for a championship rather than actually having six seasoned seniors whom never played in a championship game yet demonstrated a hunger of a Bruin with an appetite to taste a Division I NCAA championship.
Despite SC settling down in the second quarter and finding a way to pressure UCLA that turned into a few more points on the board, the Bruins maintained connectivity to extend their lead to 15 before going into halftime with a 15-13 edge to lead by 13, 36-23.
“UCLA is a quality team with very experienced players who got a taste of being in the final four last year and you make adjustments,” coach Staley said. “You use that experience as a learning lesson and you come back sharper and you increase your chances of winning. And from last year to this year, they played determined last year, but they played more determined this year because they were so close and they’ve had the experience to do that and they took advantage of it.”
UCLA resume the second half like a reset of the first half replicating relentless energy demonstrated in their first period to start the third with even more dominance as they continued to out rebound and downright outplay South Carolina, pushing their lead up to 29 with a 25-9 edge to finish the quarter, 61-32.
The Women Bruins didn’t need a cheat code for this game as there weren’t many if any complaints of officiating or physicality and yet for a second straight game their opponents had no answer for 6’7” two-time All-American Lauren Betts whom Raven Johnson said “has improved from last season.”
“I do think that experience playing at the Final Four last year helped us just in our preparation from the spring to now,” Rice said. “We knew what to expect. We knew what it would take to win at that level. And having that experience just I feel like we were able to set our minds coming in to this tournament, coming into the final four like this is what it’s going to take to win it this time.”
After coach Close desired a different display for their college women’s championship game than their low scoring semifinal game versus Texas to redeem with their teams fans’ and not have another rugby match, she led her team to double down on that desire including a delivery of a devastatingly double double, 21 points and 10 rebounds, from Jaquez, whom is the little sister of Miami Heat forward and Bruin alumni Jamie Jaquez.
“Just coming in our freshman [year] that was the plan to cut down nets. And I think we talked about it a lot,” Jaquez said. “And the fact that we got to win a national championship, wow, our senior year, like it really does mean everything. And I said it before, but I pictured this moment many times, being a national champion. And so to do it with this group, it just really means everything.”
UCLA finished with five players in double digits, including Jaquez and Betts double-doubles to go with three of the other six seniors. Gianna Kneepkens knocked down three triples in her final collegiate game for 15 points to go with a side of four dishes. Rice and Charisse Leger-Walker scored 10 apiece.
UCLA was equivalently effective on defense as their offense in this game similar to their semifinal game, putting clamps on another opponents’ top scorer after locking up Texas’ Madison Booker, this time the target was Joyce Edwards, whom had a tough day battling the Bruins “bigs,” scoring only 8 points, most of them coming when the game was out of reach though she still was able to snag 11 rebounds.
UCLA defense caused South Carolina to shoot below 30 percent from the field and just 13 percent from three while out rebounding them 49-37.
“I said, I wanted to find uncommon, courageous women that were willing to make uncommon choices that maybe possibly could yield an uncommon result. And today it did,” coach Close said.
UCLA ended the season 37-1 and will plan to start restocking soon their roster after losing half the roster with six Seniors perhaps moving on to the WNBA more than likely preparing for its upcoming draft on April 13. For now the Bruins will bask in their bountiful season as first NCAA women’s NCAA title, following their 1978 AIAW National Championship.
