Andrea Adelson
Multiple Authors
PHOENIX — UCLA is likely to be making its first look in an NCAA championship game, however head coach Cori Close stated Saturday she felt her staff confronted extra stress final yr whereas making its first Final Four.
The Bruins misplaced within the semifinals a yr in the past, and that spurred their run to this yr’s nationwide title game, the place they’ll face South Carolina on Sunday. Close stated that having final yr’s expertise has helped the staff strategy this game a lot in a different way.
“Last year, we were reacting to everything, not anticipating,” Close stated throughout a information convention previewing the title game. “Whereas now that we have been a part of this, it just was a totally different planning experience. I just felt like we were able to be more strategic in how we put our players in position to be successful.”
Close stated she heard a number of of her returning gamers from final yr telling gamers new to the Final Four what to anticipate. “That makes all the difference in the world.”
UCLA will likely be dealing with a veteran South Carolina staff that has been on this stage many occasions. The Gamecocks have made six straight Final Fours and are taking part in of their fourth nationwide title game. UCLA has not received a nationwide title since 1978, earlier than the NCAA ruled girls’s basketball.
Close stated her staff has taken a “businesslike” strategy and didn’t have a good time within the locker room after beating Texas 51-44 to clinch its spot within the title game.
“We have really come to this tournament very focused,” Close stated. “We really believe that the job wasn’t done yet. We want to have a chance to compete for a national championship. We want to do that at the highest of levels. I don’t think there was a sigh of, ‘Oh, thank goodness we made that next step.’ We want to compete to win.”
Gabriela Jaquez, who has performed at UCLA her total faculty profession, stated the staff is way extra “calm and confident” this yr.
“We have a sense of calmness that we know we’re meant to be here,” Jaquez stated. “We know we’ve put in the work. We know we’re prepared. We’re going to be focused, and we’re going to come out ready to play.”
Guard Kiki Rice reiterated that the staff took a special strategy this yr, and the truth that the Bruins have but to expertise a title game is not going to be an element.
“I felt like we’re just much better prepared,” Rice stated. “We know that we have to go out there and compete and not let the title of the game distract us from the task that we have to get done. We’ll be ready.”
