South Carolina, UCLA dedicated to women’s basketball ahead of top-5 showdown

UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close hears the naysayers.

“I’m very passionate about the people out there who say, ‘Last year was just the Caitlin Clark effect in women’s basketball,'” said Close, who is in her 14th season at the helm of the fifth-ranked Bruins.

“Caitlin Clark was spectacular for the sport – I mean, incredible. The turning points that she helped us create are incredible, but there is so much to celebrate in our great game right now. I want the ratings to continue to grow , viewership to grow, attendance to grow, and I want corporate sponsorships to understand what a great investment it is to be invested in our sport. It’s not a charity. It’s an investment Don’t miss this opportunity, the world is here to stay.

The sport has staying power because Close and other marquee coaches back up their word and take on challenges that produce big games and events that are prime-time television. That’s what we’ll get this weekend in women’s college hoops when No. 5 UCLA host no. 1 South Carolina at 4 p.m. ET Sunday on FS1. In addition to UCLA’s matchup against the top-ranked Gamecocks, the No. 3 USC hosts No. 6 at Notre Dame on Saturday, so yes, Los Angeles is the place to be on the hardwood this weekend.

But it’s also a testament to what should be applauded nationally: The women’s game has momentum because the best teams are willing to play each other, something that’s so smart to do with what Clark created. Last season, the 18.87 million who tuned in for the national championship game between South Carolina and Iowa saw a spectacle that was the largest for a basketball game of any kind — pro or college — since 2019.

Close wants to keep moving the needle, and so does the coach of the reigning national champions, South Carolina’s Dawn Staley, which is exactly why they’ve agreed to keep the Bruins-Gamecocks games going. Close told FOX Sports that an annual neutral game will begin between the two teams next season.

“Dawn is someone who has always been ‘grow-the-game’ minded,” Close said. “We were even going to do an event together to benefit our NIL money situation and she would speak for us on that. She’s done tremendous things for this sport. So it adds another layer that we can play South Carolina inside. Pauley Pavilion and against someone I really respect who has a global mindset in developing the game, what a privilege to be a part of that.

“Then you put the Notre Dame-USC game on top of that and it’s like a Final Four in November in Los Angeles. LA has become a place, a mecca, for girls and women’s basketball.”

Close’s comments about Hollywood star power in the sport certainly ring true with three of the five AP preseason All-Americans in women’s basketball coming from USC and UCLA, with Trojan stars Juju Watkins and Kiki Iriafen, along with Bruins star Kiki Rice, that’s in the headline preseason honors.

Rice returned to the Bruins from a shoulder injury to make his season debut last Sunday, playing just 11 minutes due to medical protocol in what was a 101-52 UCLA win over Arkansas. What have the 4-0 Bruins shown this season? Their depth.

Junior Lauren Betts looks like one of America’s best players as the 6-foot-7 center is averaging 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, while Oregon State transfer Timea Gardiner is coming off a 23 points in the win over the Razorbacks. Freshman Elina Aarnisalo, who enters UCLA with some professional experience after playing in Finland, has taken on an increased role from the jump as Rice returns, with the new Bruins point guard totaling 30 assists through the first four games.

But make no mistake about it: UCLA needs Rice to compete with the Gamecocks on Sunday.

“Kiki Rice is the rock of our program,” said Close, who has led UCLA to the Sweet 16 in six of her first 13 years on the job. “You don’t find out so much just by asking Kiki how she’s doing. You find out most when you ask her teammates that she’s back with us after the injury. A calmness has come over our group , because she’s back. That tells you what she means to this team.

“I’ve been coaching basketball for 32 years and her work ethic is in the top five for the best I’ve ever seen. Her work ethic is just elite and the way she approaches the game from an IQ standpoint and studies the game, to get extra work all the time, I have to kick her out of the gym. And because of her example, I have to kick a lot of players out of the gym. She has created a culture where other players are looking for extra work not to be a place that I have now because of her example is greatness.

As for greatness on the other side of the faceoff, Staley’s team might not have had an All-American up front, but the program, which has won two of the last three national championships, has a junior in Chloe Kitts who nearly has a average double-double. with 14.0 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, while sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley is off to a strong start with 12.8 points per game. contest for the 5-0 Gamecocks.

So what is Close’s plan to be able to shut down a South Carolina program that has gone 79-1 in its last 80 matchups?

“I actually think it’s a really simple game plan, but it’s really, really hard to execute because they’re so good and so consistent,” Close said. “We absolutely have to have good shot selection and take care of the ball. Almost 27% of South Carolina’s scoring comes in transition. So if you want to slow them down in transition, you better have good shot selection, play the paint and take off the ball. You can’t have a turnover on live ball, so it’s going to force us to grow against Arkansas, it was the first time we had under 12 turnovers really, really big, but the number isn’t as important as if they are live-ball turnovers.

“The other thing you have to do against them is rebound the basketball. The amount of paint they chase and get is outstanding. They’re also different from previous South Carolina teams because of how many shooters they have at the rim. But still the percentage of shots they take in the paint and no second chance opportunity, so if you take away the paint, rebounds and transition, you have a really good chance if we can get them to take hard 2 are from the dribbling, that’s going to be the key to the game. It’s easier said than done, but it’s going to be really important.

“It comes down to transition D, turning the ball over and taking care of the ball. It sounds simple, but it’s compliments to South Carolina because of how hard they make it for you to do that.”

As for what a raucous Pauley Pavilion crowd and the national television audience on FS1 can expect Sunday afternoon, UCLA junior Gabriela Jaquez, the younger sister of Miami Heat standout and former Bruins great Jaime Jaquez, said it best.

“If you come to Pauley Pavilion on Sunday afternoon, you’re in for the best show you’ll see in Los Angeles,” said Jaquez, who is averaging 8.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game for Bruins this season.

“What Caitlin Clark did in this sport was amazing and she brought so many eyes to the sport and I appreciate the new fans we have. I want people to continue to learn about UCLA women’s basketball and women’s basketball in general, and if you do your research and watch other teams, you will find out who these people are and what makes them great. Our program will only continue to grow for this momentum to continue to push forward.”

With a weekend in LA like this and a top-five matchup that South Carolina and UCLA ensured would happen, that’s exactly how you keep doing just that in November.

John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.

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