PHOENIX – Lauren Betts wanted – no, needed – to beat Texas. You could feel it in her post moves. The methodical steps, the quick spins, the soft touch. You could feel it in her 16 points. In her 11 rebounds. In her three blocks.
You could feel it with 20 seconds left when Madison Booker drove to the hoop, attempting to cut UCLA’s lead down to just a point. As Betts rose up, her palm extended, fingers spread to deflect Booker’s shot.
And you could feel it in her words postgame, from the accidental elation caught on camera – “Oh my f****** God, we’re playing in the national championship!” – to the well-thought-out press conference statement following the 51-44 victory.
“The entire game the coaches are just continuously telling me sprint back, sprint back, sprint back,” Betts said. “My job today was to help in any way I can inside the paint. That’s my job consistently throughout the season. As soon as I saw her getting downhill, I’m like, all right, please block this, just don’t let her score.”
She didn’t.
Nor did the Bruins as a whole. Booker was the focus of their defensive gameplan, and UCLA limited her to six points on 3-of-23 shooting.
“She’s an amazing player,” Betts said. “We just wanted to make it as tough as possible, continue to push her out. I’m just so proud of her guards. She’s not an easy person to defend. Everybody that got a chance to guard her did an amazing job.”
Booker wasn’t the only player to struggle, as the Longhorns shot 31 percent from the field and 22 percent from beyond the arc. Senior center Kyla Oldacre was the only player to hit double figures, with 11 points off the bench.
Last season UCLA was blown out by UConn in the Final Four – their first appearance in the NCAA era. This time, the Bruins were ready. Perhaps the only thing stronger than Betts’ desire to win was her team’s preparation.
“I think it made us think a lot about what we could have done better, not just in practice but as a team, leadership, being able to have tough conversations,” Betts said of the loss. “I’m just really proud of the growth and the way that we’ve held such a high standard consistently this year. Coach Cori has done a really good job throughout the season holding us to a high standard every day and not letting up on that.”
The Bruins had one of those tough conversations at halftime. After taking an eight-point lead in the first quarter, UCLA faltered in the second, only scoring six points. What could have been a double-digit lead was instead just a three-point advantage.
When they entered the locker room, each Bruin took time to compose herself. Then, the leaders spoke up. On a team with six seniors, leadership isn’t hard to find.
“We all take our turns,” Gabriela Jaquez said. “I think that’s what makes our team so special, is that everyone can lead in their own way. We all respond and listen to what they have to say.”
Betts spoke, then Jaquez, then Charlisse Leger-Walker. And by the end of halftime, UCLA had a new resolve.
The Bruins lost just one game this season, to Texas in November. Beating the Longhorns on Friday was a mini full-circle moment. Playing the Gamecocks for a national title on Sunday will be the real one.
When Jaquez and Kiki Rice were freshmen, the Bruins started their season 7-0. Then, they played South Carolina, the country’s No. 1 team. It was a battle. Rice had 16 points for UCLA, but South Carolina had Aaliyah Boston, Kamilla Cardoso and Zia Cook. The Gamecocks came away with a 73-64 victory.
Now, UCLA has a chance to beat South Carolina, a program that UCLA coach Cori Close said sets the standard in women’s college basketball. The Bruins want to be a part of that standard. They want their own title. For the team’s six seniors. For this team and future teams. For the program as a whole.
“All you can ask for is an opportunity to play your best basketball for a national championship,” Close said. “Really excited about that opportunity.”
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