The best women’s basketball team in the country plays at Pauley Pavilion.
How else can UCLA be described after destroying No. 1 South Carolina in 77-62?
The No. 5 Bruins dominated the defending national champions from the opening tip to the final buzzer in their breakthrough victory, the first in program history over a top-ranked opponent.
South Carolina was expected to present a formidable early-season test for the Bruins, but coach Cori Close’s team showed up at Nell and John Wooden Court with all the answers.
The answers came in the form of Lauren Betts’ presence and Kiki Rice’s playmaking, Londynn Jones’ shooting and Gabriela Jaquez’s tenacity, Elina Aarnisalo’s creativity and Janiah Barker’s athleticism.
The visiting Gamecocks came into the game with 43 straight wins. They won two of the last three NCAA championships. And they didn’t stand a chance.
Read more: No. 5 UCLA stuns No. 1 South Carolina to confirm its national title goals
“We ran into a buzzsaw today,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said.
The Bruins led by 21 points at halftime. With four minutes left in the fourth quarter, they led by 23.
The result was a signature victory for one of women’s basketball’s greatest ambassadors. In her 14th season as head coach of UCLA, Close now has a team as great as her ambitions.
“This is how a media room should be!” Close said as she walked into a crowded interview room.
Close continued: “This game is about our program and where we are going, but also about the game of basketball. And I think what we saw all weekend is so important to continue to grow our game.”
The Bruins played before an announced crowd of 13,659 fans. The day before, 7,894 fans were at Galen Center for No. 3 USC’s loss to No. 6 Notre Dame.
Organizing a showcase event like this was one thing. Winning the match was a different story.
Seven years ago, UCLA was ranked fifth in the nation and hosted No. 1 Connecticut. The game drew the third-largest crowd to ever see a women’s basketball game at Pauley Pavilion, but the Bruins were blown out.
The program has evolved since then.
The Bruins started bringing in top recruits. They used the transfer portal. They strengthened their depth.
They now have a team that Close describes as having eight starters.
Less than four minutes into the match on Sunday, Close made her first substitutions. She practically made a line change. Aarnisalo, Timea Gardiner and Angela Dugalic dated. Jones, Jaquez and Barker went inside.
The depth allowed the Bruins to apply a degree of defensive pressure that made South Carolina uncomfortable.
The Gamecocks made just one of their first twelve shots.
They shot nine of 34 from the field at the half. Sophomore guard Tessa Johnson was five for eight at the time. Everyone else on her team was a combined four for 26.
“They were ruthless,” Johnson said.
South Carolina was held to 36.4% shooting in the game.
Close did what she could to put the performance into context.
“It’s November 24,” she said. “Am I proud of our team? Yes, but this is just the beginning and we cannot get tired of doing things right.”
Close and her players now have the opportunity to do something special. They can win their first NCAA championship. They can also attract a new audience for women’s basketball and not just for high-profile games like games against JuJu Watkins and USC.
If UCLA gymnastics can be a big deal, why can’t women’s basketball? Close’s team has its own versions of Katelyn Ohashi and Jordan Chiles.
The Bruins have the most dominant inside presence in Los Angeles, aside from Anthony Davis in Betts, who collected 14 rebounds and blocked four shots against South Carolina.
They have a dynamic guard in Rice, who scored 11 points in her first game of the season without a minutes restriction. They have a spark plug in Jones, who made all five of her threes and scored a game-high 15 points. They have a household name in Jaquez, who continues a family legacy started by her brother, contributing 11 points as a reserve.
Of course, UCLA had all these players before Sunday. This victory put everyone on notice.
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
