UCLA women’s basketball falls out of rhythm in loss to USC

Sometimes the rim looks big. Sometimes it doesn’t.

When the UCLA women’s basketball team plays well it has runs where every shot seems to go in. Against Oregon on Jan. 2, senior guard Nirra Fields – who is not known for having a strong perimeter jump shot – knocked down five 3s . Against Oregon State two days later, sophomore guard Jordin Canada and junior guard Kari Korver combined to go 7-for-9 from the 3-point line. The forwards were hitting mid-range jumpers, and even the players off the bench were consistently hitting jumpers.

And then there was the last game against USC on Sunday, where the rim was not looking very big.

“The danger is that you’re going to have bad shooting nights, and the danger is to let something that is out of your control affect the things that are under your control, like defense and rebounding and how much passion you play with and communication,” said coach Cori Close. “The temptation is that when, you know, your shot isn’t going to let those other things fall down too”

The USC game was an odd, uncharacteristic performance. The team shot under 25 percent in the first half, and had a second quarter where they went 3 for 18 and only scored 8 points, its lowest total for a period of the season.

During the quarter, the team seemed to lose confidence in their ability to make baskets. The Bruins did not appear completely in the game mentally.

“I think the whole game of basketball is mental. You know, you’re talking about 80 percent mental if not more,” Close said. “Confidence is such a big factor – mental toughness, mental focus, it’s a very, very mental game … But you know your execution can lead to a lot easier shots, too, so I think it all works together.”

Canada, the third-leading scorer in the Pac-12, had a productive game shooting 36 percent. Korver, however, did not score until the fourth quarter.

“(Shooting) is all about rhythm. At the start of the game, the feel of the game … how things are going. And that just determines if your shot is going in if you feel really confident about it,” Canada said.

The team has been in rhythm for the majority of the season. Canada has been able to find her shot at the high post, while Korver has been putting away teams with transition 3s from the left wing. Fields has been getting to the rim because opposing defenses become spread too thin by the threat of the outside shot.

When the team hit four 3s late in the fourth quarter, it stormed back from a 14-point deficit to come within 3 points. It was unsurprising for a team that often scores in bunches. In the final minutes, the Bruins looked like they knew the shots were going to fall – just as they had during the team’s 3-0 start to conference play.

“I think when you’ve already knocked one down you’re more confident when you shoot the next shot so you’re more excited next time maybe to shoot it,” Korver said. “(When you’re in rhythm) your body feels like everything is lining up and when you catch the ball it just flows.”

On Sunday, that rhythm came too late for the Bruins.