The Bruins didn't expect to fall in the Sweet Sixteen.
The UCLA Bruins finished far short of their anticipated goals in the 2023-24 NCAA Tournament. The Blue and Gold finished with a 27-7 record and a 78-69 Sweet Sixteen exit against the then-reigning champion Louisiana State University Tigers.
As captured in the brand-new ESPN/ABC documentary series "Ful Court Press" , head coach Cori Close addressed the club in the immediate aftermath of that defeat with a touching missive. "At no point did I ever think we wouldn’t be in the Final Four and that we wouldn’t be playing for a national championship. Then all of a sudden that became the reality." —"The outcome really hurts. It's not what we wanted and at the same time, not letting it define the entire year," Close said. "I'm so proud of who you are. I love you guys. I just love you."
Many of the Blue and Gold's heavy hitters from last year will be back, including All-Pac-12 center Lauren Betts and Rice, both rising junior. The club will also be adding two of the most well-regarded NCAA transfer portal additions on the market, in ex-Washington State Cougars guard Charlisse Leger-Walker and former Oregon State forward Timea Gardiner.
UCLA seems like it has a good chance of improving upon its already-stellar runs in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, even with star guard Charisma Osborne moving on to the Phoenix Mercury via the 2024 WNBA Draft.
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