Women’s basketball set to rebound from tumultuous season

There aren’t any NCAA Championship trophies for UCLA women’s basketball in the Hall of Fame at the J.D. Morgan Athletic Center.

There is, however, a large bulletin board in coach Cori Close’s office overflowing with pictures of past and present players, pictures that illustrate a sense of community and spirit among the women that make up her team.

A quote from John Wooden on the right-hand wall of their locker room epitomizes the importance of the team’s combined efforts: “The best way to improve the team is to improve yourself.”

The Bruins are certainly chasing after their first NCAA title, but that is not, and never will be, their ultimate goal under Close.

Something else brings the UCLA team together for practice every day and sends their free throws on the right course to the basket. It can’t be admired in a glass display, but it can be seen every time the Bruins play: a growth mindset.

Eighteen losses

Last season, the Bruins found themselves on the losing side of 18 games – the most losses Close has ever experienced in her career.

Three Bruins starters went down with ACL tears and two more were unable to practice. When the Pac-12 tournament began, senior guard Thea Lemberger was ruled out with a concussion.

The Bruins finished the season 13-18 and dropped from the rankings.

“It was the biggest dichotomy of feelings in my 21 years of coaching. On the one hand, it was discouraging, frustrating,” said Close. “On the other hand, it was incredibly growth-producing. They taught me, sometimes, more than I taught them.”

Redshirt sophomore guard Kari Korver and redshirt junior forward Kacy Swain, both out with ACL tears, found their role on the bench more important than their role on the court.

“The coaches helped keep me engaged – they let me be the third seat down on the bench so I could listen to them,” Korver said. “Encouraging was definitely our biggest role as injured players.”

Changing course

Close now enters her fourth year as head coach. She looks at last season as the turning point when the culture of the team shifted to reflect her philosophy.

“You’re building this ship. You’re going against the current and you’re trying to turn this massive ship in a way that can steadily produce sustained excellence,” Close said. “Last year was the year that turned the ship.”

The foundation of UCLA women’s basketball was solidified last season. Future teams can now use that foundation as the base for their successes.

Close said that the Bruins’ theme this year is “one.” Ten new players are entering the mix, including seven freshmen, making up the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation.

The freshmen joining the team include three McDonald’s All Americans: guards Jordin Canada and Recee’ Caldwell, and forwar Lajahna Drummer. All three were ranked in the top 10 of recruits.

Also making her first appearance is redshirt freshman forward Paulina Hersler, a two-time player on the Swedish National Team and the lead scorer in the 2012 U18 European Championship tournament.

Other top recruits include forward Monique Billings, and guards Kelli Hayes and Chrissy Baird.

Playing in their last season as Bruins are guard Madeline Poteet, forward/center Corinne Costa, and center Luiana Livulo. Costa finished last season one shot-block shy of breaking Necie Thompson’s single season record of 53 blocks. Poteet had the best assist/turnover ratio on the team and Livulo was the only Bruin to start in every game last season.

“We have people from inner city L.A., Sweden, Portugal, Canada … different socioeconomics, different basketball backgrounds, different religions,” said Close. “The spectrum of extreme diversity to melting as one – that’s going to be what makes us unique.”

Sailing forward

Close stresses two specific words that mold UCLA’s brand: “uncommon” and “beyond.”

“Most people will choose the easy way out, most people will succumb to their feelings at that moment. That’s the common choice,” Close said. “Our challenge as a program is to make uncommon choices, yield uncommon results.”

The second word, “beyond,” highlights Close’s emphasis on maintaining a growth mindset – a mindset that matters more to her than the Bruins’ record.

“We never go to the line, we go through the line,” said Close. “It’s about being our best … going beyond expectations, beyond comfort zones. You have to be uncommon and you have to go beyond.”

The Bruins will face their most daunting schedule yet, playing two of last year’s Final Four qualifiers – including top-ranked University of Connecticut on the Huskies’ home court and powerhouse Notre Dame at Pauley Pavilion.

While the new-look Bruins remain untested against top-tier opponents, voters on the AP Top 25 poll seem to believe that the mixture of the Bruin’s youth and experience will serve them well against elite programs. No. 23 UCLA is the only team in the recent top 25 polls with a losing record from last season.

“Yes, we are going to hit a roadblock, we’re going to hit adversity – it’s not how we get hit but how we respond to it,” said junior guard Nirra Fields.

Fields, who led the Bruins last season and scored double digits in 27 of 31 starts, spent part of her summer playing for the Canadian National Team in the FIBA World Cup. Her experience will strengthen her leadership on the team.

It all starts this weekend, when the Bruins fly to Virginia for their first game of the regular season against James Madison University and then head south to face the University of North Carolina.

On Nov. 23, UCLA will host No. 9 Texas for its home-opener.

“Whether we are in the Final Four or the first round of the NCAA tournament, I don’t have control over that. … Luck factors in. Staying healthy factors in. Seeding factors in. Referees factor in. I can’t control any of those things,” Close said. “That can control our ranking, but nobody can take away our growth mindset.”