Before this game, I thought whoever wins it would eventually go on to win the championship game, but I didn't expect the Lady Bruins to do a complete faceplant--U$C minus JuJu didn't get blown out THIS badly. It's disappointing that everyone not named Betts probably played one of their worst games of the season. Credit goes to UConn with their elite coach and championship-level experience in making this tournament's overall top seed look and perform like a 16-seed. Overall, it was a very entertaining Final Four season for the Lady Bruins, so hope they can address their one-dimensional scoring limitations and excessive turnovers and go further next year.
I think you might be right... remember UConn blewout SoCar in Columbia 87-58 in February - honestly, if I can put on my ESECPN conspiracy hat for a moment 🙂 it's why I think the committee had $c as the 4th #1 seed instead of Texas so SoCar avoided UCLA. $c, UConn, and even LSU from their side of the bracket... we'll see tomorrow but I think it's UConn's year at this point...
The worst part about this loss is not the losing, but the feeling that you didn’t bring your best to compete. The Bruins are so much of a better team than what we saw last night. I don’t know if it was nerves, cross country travel, or what, but everything seemed off. Sloppy passes, air balls followed by bricks, not protecting the ball, poor rebounding… Huskies brought their game, and we left ours in Westwood.
Even though things didn’t end the way we hoped, there’s still a lot to be proud of this season and a lot to build upon for next.
I remember the UCLA men's team with Ed O, Charles O, Tyus et al, getting completely demolished by Memphis who essentially ran us off the court. After that game, Ed pulled that team together and became it's unquestionable leader - they won the National Championship the next season in 1995.
I believe someone, whether it's Lauren or Gabs, will become the same kind of leader that Ed O was back in 94-95. And we will have a great chance at winning it all next year.
But first things first. I must admit that before the game, I said I believed our Lady Bruins would be fully prepared, mentally, physically and as a team, but I was wrong...
Our Lady Bruins were not prepared mentally, physically or as a team, for this game. The lights were perhaps too bright, the stage perhaps too big, and the lack of Final Four experience allowed all the other things like media, awards, and the pull of too many competing prioirites, to impact them...
Their lack of focus due to so many things led to a massive number of turnovers which jolted the team as UConn took advantage and scored at will off those turnovers. Our team also could not shoot, other than Lauren, which is so unlike them, so I believe they were rattled by the pressure and lack of mental preparation and simply could not recover.
UConn also has a coach who is unmatched in Geno. Coach Close, as much as I love her, is not Geno. But there are firsts for everything, and Geno at one time did win his first National Championship. Close needs to learn how he did that, as Geno, although not as classy as Coach Wooden, is the Wooden in the Women's Basketball world in terms of winning.
Coach Close needs to find a way to stop the turnovers ss it has plagued us all year but became out of control against a team like UConn. We also did not defend well, so perhaps we need an assistant who has a defensive mind to help us. And we need to get another guard who has great passing skills, ball control and scoring ability. I do believe we can win the Nattie next year, but changes need to be made.
I would agree that as first-time Final Four participants, the Lady Bruins simply allowed the moment to be much larger than they could handle, which contributed to their uncharacterically poor performance from the opening tip and throughout the game. Hopefully, they can get back to the Final Four next season and remember to keep the bigger stage with brighter lights in its proper perspective and not mentally and physically perform like a 16-seed just happy to be there. There's also some sense of urgency with Betts and others in the current rotation who are losing eligibilty after next season ends (a big roster reload in 2026?). Anyway, look forward to seeing the Betts sisters playing together for 1 season and how it works out for the Lady Bruins.
To lose the national semifinal by a record margin as the #1 overall seed... it is because I respect them as competitors and athletes that I say that was embarrassing. It's also what I'd say if the US Women's National Team lost a World Cup semifinal 5-0 to, say, Germany and what I said about the men's collapse against Minnesota. Pretending less is condescending to our athletes IMHO.
Now, that said, this team absolutely elevated the program and had an amazing season - beating a national championship finalist by 15 after being up by 22 at halftime shows just how excellent the Bruins are at their best - in fact we dominated South Carolina on about the same level as UConn did to us last night. We went 3-3 against teams in our "peer group" (1-0 vs SoCar & LSU, 0-1 vs UConn, and 1-2 vs just $c) demonstrating our potential but also our need for improvement - fortunately not only is everyone back but we add Sienna Betts... Hopefully this is the 1994 loss to Tulsa that galvanizes the determination to win the title and get the taste of last night out of their mouths.
I was really bummed about our performance on Friday. With the exception of Lauren, we played about as badly as we could and UConn got whatever it wanted. Losing in a National Semis by 30 was pretty embarrassing. But then 2 days later UConn was up by 32 over other SC with like 4 minutes left before garbage time made it a bit closer at the buzzer.
I guess we weren't so so bad after all. It wasn't all just us, it was a whole lot of them. So huge credit to Geno and the Huskies. That UConn team was a freaking wagon. Now I know they scuffled a bit earlier in the year, but how on earth did they get a 2 seed come tournament time?
Regardless, I am very proud of our team and how far they came this year. Hopefully the girls take a bit of time to decompress, hit the books a bit, and enjoy spring quarter at UCLA, the best time in the world! Now is the time for the coaches to dig in and reflect on the holes this year and how to improve: we need to create and execute a more diverse and flowing offense and not just force it into Betts, we need to generate a more effective three point threat, we need to get more athletic and physical on the defensive boards. Let's build on a great foundation and look for another deep run in the tourney next season. There's plenty of work to do, but I sure do love where we are starting from. Be proud of your accomplishments - don't be satisfied with your accomplishments.
It looks like we are losing the entire 2024 freshman recriting class... Aarnisalo, Dudley, Cain, and Socka-Nguemen are all entering the transfer portal... zero loyalty, zero desire to develop and grow in a program, zero value placed on a UCLA education. NIL has created a dearth of character and a wealth of greed, entitlement and corruption.
Surely Ed O'Bannon could not have been 💯 blind to the potential for corruption and greed to ruin college sports once money took a permanent front row seat. Or maybe he didn't care what the outcome would be as long as athletes got paid.
I was way too idealistic when it came to our women's team - thinking they were different, they were family, they were united and loyal... Ha, last laugh is sadly on me.
Yes, it's thanks to Ed O'Bannon for helping to bring the last championship to UCLA and creating NIL for college athletics. I'm tired of waiting forever for another championship for the Bruins, and the NIL + transfer portal forces schools to recruit better talent with more money every year. The freshmen leaving the Lady Bruins program might also be anticipating reduced opportunities with both Betts sisters on the team next season. At least I'm a Bruin forever! :-)
I was at the 1995 National Championship game - 20 rows up with my mom. I truly loved that team. But Ed O'Bannon had to have known that once big money enters the picture, things can quickly turn bad.
NIL should have never happened in the first place - corporations should never have been allowed to use players to gain money. And with regard to the transfer portal, it's just one big chaotic mess where players are just using colleges. Even in the pros, players have contracts to fulfill. But in college it's just endless turnover.
It has all turned ugly in many ways. People with character work very hard to get ahead, they don't just leave. So with that said, perhaps it is better to see who does not possess the qualities needed to achieve greatness as a person.
If you’re following what’s happening in Tennessee, it gets even uglier. Their starting QB Nico Iamaleava refused to show up to practice unless the school renegotiated his NIL deal so Tennessee lets him walk.
And there’s rumors that Iamaleava might want to come to ucla. No thanks to that circus.
It can get even worse. There’s a lawsuit pending against the ncaa after an athlete got denied a 5th year. NCAA eligibility limits might be the next to go.
Before this game, I thought whoever wins it would eventually go on to win the championship game, but I didn't expect the Lady Bruins to do a complete faceplant--U$C minus JuJu didn't get blown out THIS badly. It's disappointing that everyone not named Betts probably played one of their worst games of the season. Credit goes to UConn with their elite coach and championship-level experience in making this tournament's overall top seed look and perform like a 16-seed. Overall, it was a very entertaining Final Four season for the Lady Bruins, so hope they can address their one-dimensional scoring limitations and excessive turnovers and go further next year.
I think you might be right... remember UConn blewout SoCar in Columbia 87-58 in February - honestly, if I can put on my ESECPN conspiracy hat for a moment 🙂 it's why I think the committee had $c as the 4th #1 seed instead of Texas so SoCar avoided UCLA. $c, UConn, and even LSU from their side of the bracket... we'll see tomorrow but I think it's UConn's year at this point...
The worst part about this loss is not the losing, but the feeling that you didn’t bring your best to compete. The Bruins are so much of a better team than what we saw last night. I don’t know if it was nerves, cross country travel, or what, but everything seemed off. Sloppy passes, air balls followed by bricks, not protecting the ball, poor rebounding… Huskies brought their game, and we left ours in Westwood.
Even though things didn’t end the way we hoped, there’s still a lot to be proud of this season and a lot to build upon for next.
Go Bruins!
UConn never let the Bruins come up for air. We got smoked like a Texas brisket.
mmmmmm......brissssssketttt
I remember the UCLA men's team with Ed O, Charles O, Tyus et al, getting completely demolished by Memphis who essentially ran us off the court. After that game, Ed pulled that team together and became it's unquestionable leader - they won the National Championship the next season in 1995.
I believe someone, whether it's Lauren or Gabs, will become the same kind of leader that Ed O was back in 94-95. And we will have a great chance at winning it all next year.
But first things first. I must admit that before the game, I said I believed our Lady Bruins would be fully prepared, mentally, physically and as a team, but I was wrong...
Our Lady Bruins were not prepared mentally, physically or as a team, for this game. The lights were perhaps too bright, the stage perhaps too big, and the lack of Final Four experience allowed all the other things like media, awards, and the pull of too many competing prioirites, to impact them...
Their lack of focus due to so many things led to a massive number of turnovers which jolted the team as UConn took advantage and scored at will off those turnovers. Our team also could not shoot, other than Lauren, which is so unlike them, so I believe they were rattled by the pressure and lack of mental preparation and simply could not recover.
UConn also has a coach who is unmatched in Geno. Coach Close, as much as I love her, is not Geno. But there are firsts for everything, and Geno at one time did win his first National Championship. Close needs to learn how he did that, as Geno, although not as classy as Coach Wooden, is the Wooden in the Women's Basketball world in terms of winning.
Coach Close needs to find a way to stop the turnovers ss it has plagued us all year but became out of control against a team like UConn. We also did not defend well, so perhaps we need an assistant who has a defensive mind to help us. And we need to get another guard who has great passing skills, ball control and scoring ability. I do believe we can win the Nattie next year, but changes need to be made.
💙💛💙💛
I would agree that as first-time Final Four participants, the Lady Bruins simply allowed the moment to be much larger than they could handle, which contributed to their uncharacterically poor performance from the opening tip and throughout the game. Hopefully, they can get back to the Final Four next season and remember to keep the bigger stage with brighter lights in its proper perspective and not mentally and physically perform like a 16-seed just happy to be there. There's also some sense of urgency with Betts and others in the current rotation who are losing eligibilty after next season ends (a big roster reload in 2026?). Anyway, look forward to seeing the Betts sisters playing together for 1 season and how it works out for the Lady Bruins.
Ok my mistake... I meant Tulsa not Memphis in my comment 🙃
It's alright, that loss by the Bruins was a forgettable one anyway...
To lose the national semifinal by a record margin as the #1 overall seed... it is because I respect them as competitors and athletes that I say that was embarrassing. It's also what I'd say if the US Women's National Team lost a World Cup semifinal 5-0 to, say, Germany and what I said about the men's collapse against Minnesota. Pretending less is condescending to our athletes IMHO.
Now, that said, this team absolutely elevated the program and had an amazing season - beating a national championship finalist by 15 after being up by 22 at halftime shows just how excellent the Bruins are at their best - in fact we dominated South Carolina on about the same level as UConn did to us last night. We went 3-3 against teams in our "peer group" (1-0 vs SoCar & LSU, 0-1 vs UConn, and 1-2 vs just $c) demonstrating our potential but also our need for improvement - fortunately not only is everyone back but we add Sienna Betts... Hopefully this is the 1994 loss to Tulsa that galvanizes the determination to win the title and get the taste of last night out of their mouths.
Thank you Bruins for a great season!
I was really bummed about our performance on Friday. With the exception of Lauren, we played about as badly as we could and UConn got whatever it wanted. Losing in a National Semis by 30 was pretty embarrassing. But then 2 days later UConn was up by 32 over other SC with like 4 minutes left before garbage time made it a bit closer at the buzzer.
I guess we weren't so so bad after all. It wasn't all just us, it was a whole lot of them. So huge credit to Geno and the Huskies. That UConn team was a freaking wagon. Now I know they scuffled a bit earlier in the year, but how on earth did they get a 2 seed come tournament time?
Regardless, I am very proud of our team and how far they came this year. Hopefully the girls take a bit of time to decompress, hit the books a bit, and enjoy spring quarter at UCLA, the best time in the world! Now is the time for the coaches to dig in and reflect on the holes this year and how to improve: we need to create and execute a more diverse and flowing offense and not just force it into Betts, we need to generate a more effective three point threat, we need to get more athletic and physical on the defensive boards. Let's build on a great foundation and look for another deep run in the tourney next season. There's plenty of work to do, but I sure do love where we are starting from. Be proud of your accomplishments - don't be satisfied with your accomplishments.
Thanks for a fantastic season! Go Bruins!!
So well stated, Greg. In other news...
It looks like we are losing the entire 2024 freshman recriting class... Aarnisalo, Dudley, Cain, and Socka-Nguemen are all entering the transfer portal... zero loyalty, zero desire to develop and grow in a program, zero value placed on a UCLA education. NIL has created a dearth of character and a wealth of greed, entitlement and corruption.
Surely Ed O'Bannon could not have been 💯 blind to the potential for corruption and greed to ruin college sports once money took a permanent front row seat. Or maybe he didn't care what the outcome would be as long as athletes got paid.
I was way too idealistic when it came to our women's team - thinking they were different, they were family, they were united and loyal... Ha, last laugh is sadly on me.
Yes, it's thanks to Ed O'Bannon for helping to bring the last championship to UCLA and creating NIL for college athletics. I'm tired of waiting forever for another championship for the Bruins, and the NIL + transfer portal forces schools to recruit better talent with more money every year. The freshmen leaving the Lady Bruins program might also be anticipating reduced opportunities with both Betts sisters on the team next season. At least I'm a Bruin forever! :-)
I was at the 1995 National Championship game - 20 rows up with my mom. I truly loved that team. But Ed O'Bannon had to have known that once big money enters the picture, things can quickly turn bad.
NIL should have never happened in the first place - corporations should never have been allowed to use players to gain money. And with regard to the transfer portal, it's just one big chaotic mess where players are just using colleges. Even in the pros, players have contracts to fulfill. But in college it's just endless turnover.
It has all turned ugly in many ways. People with character work very hard to get ahead, they don't just leave. So with that said, perhaps it is better to see who does not possess the qualities needed to achieve greatness as a person.
If you’re following what’s happening in Tennessee, it gets even uglier. Their starting QB Nico Iamaleava refused to show up to practice unless the school renegotiated his NIL deal so Tennessee lets him walk.
And there’s rumors that Iamaleava might want to come to ucla. No thanks to that circus.
Remember, his brother was originally committed to UCLA until he bailed... looks like we dodged a bullet there, eh?
💯 These players... smdh at the lack of character.
It can get even worse. There’s a lawsuit pending against the ncaa after an athlete got denied a 5th year. NCAA eligibility limits might be the next to go.
Good for Tennessee.
And I just saw on the BSPN crawler that Londynn Jones and Janiah Barker are in the transfer portal too
WTAF?
I honestly don't believe this is what Ed O had in mind, but knowing the state of things anymore, perhaps he should have.
Yep. 'WTAF' sums it up.