UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast: No. 1 Overall Seed

In the latest episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast, Madeleine Considine breaks down a historic moment in Westwood as, for the first time ever, the UCLA women’s basketball team has earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

After an incredible regular season and a championship-winning run through the Big Ten Tournament, the Bruins cemented themselves as the top team in the nation. UCLA finished the season with a remarkable 30-2 record.

UCLA proved that it is the team to beat and is entering the NCAA Tournament with momentum and confidence.

As the No. 1 overall seed, the Bruins lead the Spokane 1 region and will open their potential tournament run on Friday at Pauley Pavilion, facing the winner of a First Four matchup between UC San Diego and Southern.

You can watch the episode below:

While this first-round game favors UCLA on paper, nothing is guaranteed in March Madness. Upsets are always lurking, and the Bruins will need to maintain their intensity from the opening tip.

UCLA coach Cori Close expressed confidence in her team’s preparation and mindset heading into the tournament.

“We are hungry and we are confident,” she told CBS. “We may have had one of our best practices of the year today. We are just getting started, and I love our versatility, I love our selflessness, and I love our work ethic.”

Versatility is one of the team’s greatest strengths. From defensive switches to having multiple scoring options, UCLA’s ability to adjust on the fly makes them a dangerous opponent for any team in the tournament.

“Versatility means how we can switch screens,” she said. “Versatility means posting up our guards and having our forwards shoot threes. Versatility means having great bench production. So the list goes on and on, and we’re just really lucky to have so many contributors. It just increases our margin for error.”

One of the biggest keys to UCLA’s success has been junior center Lauren Betts. She has transformed UCLA’s defense and is a major reason the team ranks among the nation’s best in field goal percentage offense and defense.

Close had high praise for Betts’ development.

“Her [Betts'] footwork, her ability to keep quicker guards in front of her, her efficiency in the paint, her ability to block shots without fouling,” Close said. “I mean, there’s not many areas of her game that haven’t gone up dramatically.”

With Betts anchoring the defense and the team playing at its highest level, UCLA is built for a deep tournament run. With a championship-caliber team led by a battle-tested coach, they are primed for a title run.

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