UCLA Stays Perfect: 19-0 and Counting

The No. 1-ranked UCLA women’s basketball team continued their stellar season with a commanding 84-66 victory over Rutgers at Jersey Mike’s Arena on Thursday. This win marked UCLA’s 19th consecutive victory, its 18th by double digits, and it kept its perfect Big Ten record intact at 7-0.

After the game, Coach Cori Close expressed pride in her team’s performance while maintaining a laser focus on their process-oriented approach.

“We just are focused on one game at a time,” Close said. “We're thankful to be 1-0 against Rutgers, and that's the only thing we're thinking about. We're trying to learn from this game, what it taught us, and then move on to trying to be 1-0 again.”

Close lauded the versatility of her star players, particularly junior center Lauren Betts, who has been a defensive and offensive powerhouse all season.

“Lauren obviously has an incredible impact on both sides of the ball,” Close said. “She’s a great center, but she’s a versatile center. … The list of impacts on the game that she makes are endless. And when you combo that with a really, really elite lead guard, that’s pretty tough to stop, and that’s why our record is what it is.”

The coach highlighted adjustments her team made against Rutgers’ zone defense, which proved pivotal in the second quarter.

“I thought we started doing a little bit more off the pass,” Close said. “I thought we were dribbling too quickly versus their zone in the first quarter. Really challenging our guards to create ball movement and ball reversal was key.”

Despite the convincing win, Close acknowledged areas for improvement, particularly consistency in exploiting successful strategies.

“Success leaves clues, and success in that second quarter left clues. We didn’t just take them and carry them over,” Close said. “That’s still an area we can grow in.”

Beyond the Xs and Os, Close emphasized the importance of mental conditioning and the team’s holistic approach to growth.

“We work a lot on mental conditioning and time in the mind gym,” Close said. “At the top of our ‘what went well’ journal, we write, ‘Basketball is what I do, it is not who I am.’ Everything that happens is an opportunity to learn and grow.”

Close also reiterated her commitment to balancing her drive for excellence with the broader mission of shaping her players’ character and impact.

“In the end, banners hang in gyms, and even rings collect dust,” she said. “The only two things that last forever from these four years are who you become and who you impact.”

The Bruins (19-0, 7-0) will face a formidable test against No. 8 Maryland on Sunday in College Park, Maryland. With momentum and lessons from its latest win, UCLA will look to stay undefeated as it continues its quest for a championship.

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