UCLA Women's Basketball Releases Full Nonconference Schedule
The Bruins' early season path has officially been paved.
UCLA women's basketball released its full nonconference scheduled Tuesday afternoon, consisting of 11 contests and no true road games. Coach Cori Close's Bruins will play four neutral-site games, but the vast majority of their season leading up to Pac-12 play will take place in Pauley Pavilion.
The regular season will begin on Nov. 10 against Pepperdine, tipping off a season-opening three-game homestand. Next in town will be CSUN on Nov. 18, followed by Virginia – which has fallen far from its early-90s national prominence and has made just one of the last 10 NCAA tournaments – on Nov. 21.
The Bruins will then take a trip to Estero, Florida, for the Gulf Coast Showcase, taking part in the tournament for the first time since 2013. Joining UCLA there from Nov. 26-28 are UMass, Kent State, Charlotte, Penn State, St. John's, Iowa State and South Dakota State, the last two of which made the 2021 NCAA tournament.
In a brief return to Westwood, the Bruins will host San Jose State on Dec. 5 before hitting the road once again.
As was announced last week, UCLA and UConn will go head-to-head in the Never Forget Tribute Classic in Newark, New Jersey, on Dec. 11. It will be the third meeting between the Bruins and Huskies over the last five seasons, the the latter winning the previous two, including their matchup in the 2019 Sweet 16.
The slate will get rounded out with three more home games before UCLA rings in the New Year against Pac-12 opponents. Texas Southern will visit on Dec. 16, followed by Ohio State on Dec. 19 and CSU Bakersfield on Dec. 21.
"I am so excited about our non-conference schedule," Close said in a statement. "Our schedule includes marquee matchups both at home and on the road for our fans to see this group be tested and refined. The objective of this non-conference period is two-fold – to build championship level habits and to come together as a synergistic unit, not just as a very good group of individuals. Our fans are really going to love this team – hard-working, enthusiastic, tough and incredibly skilled."
UCLA won its only two nonconference games in 2020 and all 11 of such contests in 2019. Excluding NCAA tournament games, the Bruins are entering their season-opening matchup with the Waves riding a 17-game winning streak out of conference that dates back to Dec. 7, 2018.
Close is entering her 11th season at UCLA, and she has an experienced roster led by graduate guard Natalie Chou, redshirt senior guard Chantel Horvat, junior guard Charisma Osborne and sophomore forward Emily Bessoir at her disposal this time around.
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