UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close was understandably upset at the postgame presser following her team’s 80-67 loss to crosstown rivals and the JuJu Watkins-led USC in Saturday night’s Big 10 regular season title decider.
“I’m just really pissed off. We didn’t show up and do our jobs.” Close admitted. She then singled out two players for their efforts: “They were fighting their butts off, trying everything to bring everybody with them,” she said of Gabriela Jacquez and Kiki Rice…conveniently sitting right next to Close.
However, the UCLA coach since 2011 didn’t have kind words for the rest of the team. “More people can be counted on to do their jobs, period,” Close said. “We are not attacking them as humans, we are committed to their best, and when they are operating less than their best, it is our job to get them to make a course correction,”
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Star Lauren Betts was notably quiet, scoring just 11 points on 5/11 shooting while committing five turnovers in the defeat. Rice, in an energetic effort, knocked down just three of her 13 shots.
-“We are not attacking them as humans, we are committed to their best, and when they are operating less than their best, it is our job to get them to make a course correction,” Close continued.
“This is the way this train is going, and if you don’t think you can make the changes to be on it, tell us now,” she said. “The way we turn it around is by people making a commitment, a choice, and being counted on.”
UCLA once again couldn’t handle USC star JuJu Watkins (
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Close’s UCLA has only dropped two games this season – both to USC. The Trojans were once again led by National Player of the Year frontrunner Juju Watkins. The star sophomore poured in 30 points just two weeks against scoring 38 points to beat UCLA on Feb. 13.
“The amount of attention she gets, the scrutiny, the positives — it’s a lot,” USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said of her star.
“But the ability to focus and say, ‘What do I need to do for me to be at my best and do what the team needs to do to win?’ That’s the mental aspect.”
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The win gives USC its first conference title in 31 years and cements a season sweep over city rivals. “I think I’d be remiss to say that playing UCLA doesn’t motivate me extra,” Gottlieb added.
26-2 UCLA was in a prime position to secure a one-seed in the NCAA tournament but has now surely been surpassed by 28-2 USC in the eyes of the committee.
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