Women’s basketball reflects on season of achievements despite absences

UCLA started practicing Sept. 21, which, according to coach Cori Close, made it the last team in the country to start play.

It was only fitting that the Bruins ended their season in the same way – on a delay.

After the matchup between Iowa State and Texas A&M – the game before UCLA and Texas on ESPN2 on Wednesday – went into overtime, the Bruins had to pause their warmups and go back into the locker room. They wouldn’t start playing until 31 minutes after the scheduled tip.

In a season filled with delays and postponements, Close said it was more of the same for her team.

“When we went back into the locker room when the game went into overtime, I just thought, ‘Well, here we go – another opportunity to be adaptable,’” Close said. “I mean, was it ideal? No. But this whole year hasn’t been ideal. It’s about finding ways to try to be your best in the midst of really inconvenient circumstances.”

Two hours and 20 minutes after tipoff, No. 6 seed Texas ended No. 3 seed UCLA women’s basketball’s season with a 71-62 loss, making the Bruins the last team in the NCAA tournament to get knocked out in the Round of 32. The second-round loss is the earliest exit UCLA has had since 2013 when it lost in the same round.

“I’m just extremely disappointed,” said senior forward Michaela Onyenwere. “I just really love my team and, like I said, my experience at UCLA. For it to just be over like that is hard to swallow. It’s definitely disappointing. “

But even with the loss, UCLA still managed to win 17 games and finish as the runner-up in the Pac-12 tournament while ending up third in the regular season. The Bruins did all of this with a limited roster.

From the start, UCLA was without two Australian freshmen – forward Izzy Anstey and guard Gemma Potter – who were barred from traveling to the United States as a result of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement ruling after both fought the decision in court. Canadian sophomore forward Brynn Masikewich also never made her way to Westwood for undisclosed reasons.

The team had two players opt out for health and safety reasons as well, with redshirt junior guard Kayla Owens and junior guard Kiara Jefferson missing the entire season.

Sophomore guard Camryn Brown and redshirt junior guard Chantel Horvat also missed significant time because of injuries. Others – like Onyenwere – had season-long nagging injuries keeping them from being 100% throughout the campaign.

“We had players that have sued the federal government this year, we had players that were trying to get in every week – we’re like, ‘Are we going to be able to have them in our on our team?’” Close said. “It was just it was one thing after another after another.”

The Bruins played multiple games with just seven active players – the exact minimum needed to compete – and practiced with only four players from time to time. The limited numbers led to a myriad of postponed and canceled games, including two as a result of UCLA having below the required number of scholarship players.

In total, the Bruins played in 25 out of 32 scheduled games and all five of the postseason contests for which they qualified.

“This year wasn’t what anybody expected,” Onyenwere said. “We had a lot of ups and downs, (and) we had a lot of adversity. But I think our team continued to just be tough and fight through all of the adversity. … We’ve learned a lot from this season and ended up better because of it.”

But the season went beyond the basketball court for Close. She said what she will remember most about this season isn’t the early exit, but instead her players’ focus on becoming better away from the hardwood.

The players were a part of numerous social justice initiatives, including the team’s More Than a D.R.E.A.M. group. The team as a whole has also had an active voice in the UCLA community during a time of social unrest in the country.

“I think they taught me (that) you can make a difference in the world and use your platform in a really balanced way, in a really powerful way, while still maintaining an absolute commitment to competitive excellence,” Close said. “I’m really proud of them for that. And I think they taught me that you can do both and they don’t have to compromise each other.”

Moving forward, UCLA is graduating just three seniors – likely including Onyenwere – meaning seven Bruins on this team are scheduled to come back and make another potential NCAA tournament run in 2022. UCLA will also likely have most of those who missed the season – Owens, Jefferson, Anstey and Masikewich – back in the fold as well.

Of the returning players, Charisma Osborne is the headliner. The sophomore guard finished her second season second on the team in scoring with 17 points per game. During the campaign, she had a stretch of seven straight games with 20 or more points, but averaged just 12.9 points per game in her last nine contests.

The Bruins will also return freshman guard Dominique Darius, who was originally part of the 2021 recruiting class. Darius – a former four-star recruit – reclassified to play the last half of the season, playing 156 total minutes, and still has four more years of eligibility.

However, with Darius’ reclassifying, UCLA is without a recruit signed in either the class of 2021 or the class of 2022, according to ESPN.

Still, Close said the groundwork for future success has been put in place thanks to the progress made this season.

“The foundation has been laid, and it’s time to make some other steps and to move forward,” Close said. “You honor your seniors that have built such a great foundation by taking the baton and going to a new level and dreaming a little bigger and working a little bigger. … I’m proud of the steps we’ve taken and excited about the next steps to come.”