The Bruins saw their dream postseason unceremoniously ended by eventual national champions UConn<\/a> in an 85-51 rout. Highly touted but inexperienced on the big stage, UCLA nearly reached the mountaintop before a rough tumble, stirring up questions about the team\u2019s ability to hang with the NCAA\u2019s blue chip establishment.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s nothing like having a historic season, and falling a little bit short,\u201d head coach Cori Close told JWS in October. \u201cThe hunger to do it better, but also the attention to detail that it really takes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s one thing to know things in your head, it\u2019s a whole other thing to have them in your heart,\u201d she continued. \u201cAnd I think our team has a higher degree of these things in our heart.\u201d<\/p>\n With renewed focus and deepened experience \u2014 plus an even more complete roster<\/a> that can run the court against just about anyone \u2014 the Bruins just might reach the mountaintop again in 2026.<\/p>\n Following another strong offseason recruiting cycle, UCLA currently sits fourth in the AP Top 25 Poll<\/a> after ranked wins over No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 19 Ohio State, and No. 23 Tennessee. And now the reigning Big Ten Tournament champions<\/a> are setting their sights on conference play \u2014 with Saturday\u2019s showdown with Southern California rivals No. 17 USC front of mind.<\/p>\n From here on out, attention to detail could make all the difference in how this season\u2019s story ends.<\/p>\n UCLA is on a mission to reduce turnovers and own the glass<\/p>\n Before the 2024\/25 season even began, coach Close already knew exactly where her team needed to improve.<\/p>\n The Bruins played a fast-paced style last year, facilitating ball movement inside and out with skill players at every position. This year, Close believed her squad could excel in terms of discipline, rather than sheer talent.<\/p>\n \u201cWe went back and studied the last five national championship teams<\/a> and talked about trends that we see that they all have, that maybe we\u2019ve fallen short in,\u201d she said. \u201cWe figured that we need to turn the ball over three fewer times a game.\u201d<\/p>\n Defense also plays a factor. \u201cWhen you really trace championship teams, they have to be dominant in their rebounding,\u201d she added. \u201cWe have a goal to get 70 to 75% of the misses.\u201d<\/p>\n 13 games into the season, UCLA hasn\u2019t quite achieved all their goals. But they are showing potential. They\u2019re slightly up in average rebounds with 44.1 per game, while lowering average turnovers by more than three per game.<\/p>\n But the team\u2019s limitations against top talent reared its head in their November 26th loss to No. 2 Texas<\/a>. UCLA grabbed only 32 rebounds while committing 20 turnovers \u2014 nearly double their season average.<\/p>\n \u201cI was really honest with [the players],\u201d Close said after the 76-65 defeat. \u201cThere\u2019s some things we\u2019ve been talking about that haven\u2019t gotten enough change. Maybe this will get us to change some things that led to this.\u201d<\/p>\n The threat of not sizing up against the best of the best fresh in their minds, UCLA has subsequently looked stronger. They reduced their turnovers even more against then-No. 14 Tennessee in late November, before dominating the boards against No. 19 Ohio State<\/a> last Sunday.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have an abundance of growth opportunities, we have an abundance of opportunities to invest in each other,\u201d Close told JWS.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have an abundance of ways in which we can improve week by week. We\u2019re going to just stay focused on those.\u201d<\/p>\n The Lauren Betts blueprint: Efficiency over minutes<\/p>\n Reaching UCLA\u2019s goals relies on team-wide commitment \u2014 and figuring out the best way to utilize the team\u2019s biggest star.<\/p>\n The Bruins have a wealth of elite guards, with upperclassmen like Kiki Rice<\/a> and Gabriela Jaquez<\/a> running the backcourt. But it\u2019s no secret that the team\u2019s attack and defense runs through 6-foot-8 All-American center Lauren Betts.<\/p>\n The senior is a global talent. She made her USA Basketball debut in December, and is shortlisted to become the 2026 WNBA Draft No. 1 pick once her decorated college career comes to an end.<\/p>\n One of the most dominant two-way bigs<\/a> in the college game, Betts averaged a near-20-point, 10-rebound double-double last season. She\u2019s an attention magnet on the court, disrupting play at the rim with the motor needed to finish the work back up the court.<\/p>\n Ironically, though, to get the most out of Betts, Close has found she has to actually limit her time on the floor.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Lauren and I had our exit evaluation meetings last year, we both agreed that she needs to have less minutes,\u201d said Close. \u201cAnd honestly maybe even less shots, but more efficiency<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs a 6-foot-8 player, you get beat up so much before she even touches the ball,\u201d Close continued. \u201cI think it\u2019s important that we protect her wherever we can.\u201d<\/p>\n Betts is aware that physicality can sometimes throw her off her game. She\u2019s now pushing to hone her tenacity at the rim while leveraging her size through double- or triple-teams.<\/p>\n \u201cJust playing the game, making the right read, is something that\u2019s really important for me, trusting that I know what to do on the floor,\u201d Betts at reporters from USA Basketball training camp<\/a> last month.<\/p>\n \u201cAlso aggressiveness, I think that\u2019s something that I can always grow into.\u201d<\/p>\n UCLA enters 2026 with fresh faces \u2014 and family ties<\/p>\n Close sees Betts at her best with nothing to prove individually and a little extra help under the basket. And they worked hard over the offseason to get her that support, shaking things up via both traditional recruiting and the transfer portal<\/a>.<\/p>\n Take senior transfer Gianna Kneepkins, for example. The former Utah standout is giving the Bruins a scoring boost with 14.3 points per game while carrying minutes alongside more established starters.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s been a pivotal puzzle piece for us in terms of having a 50\/40\/90 player that\u2019s really able to stretch the floor. She\u2019s making everybody better around her,\u201d Close said of Kneepkins, as the newcomer provides a tall outside presence in the paint.<\/p>\n Close also credits second-year transfer Charlisse Leger-Walker. She\u2019s bolstered the team off the bench after sitting out last season to rehab her ACL.<\/p>\n Betts\u2019s biggest supporter, however, stems from a little closer to home. Lauren\u2019s little sister Sienna<\/a>, the No. 2 recruit in her class, joined the Bruins this season. And she shares many of her older sister\u2019s attributes on the court.<\/p>\n Listed at 6-foot-4, the freshman can stretch defenses even without her big sister on the court, strengthening UCLA\u2019s reach through negative runs while forcing opponents to game-plan for even more frontcourt power<\/p>\n \u201c[I\u2019m] just trying to help her as much as I can,\u201d Lauren said of her sister prior to the season start. \u201cEspecially because we\u2019re playing kind of the same position. Just trying to help her with the plays, help her with tough practices, kind of helping her move on.\u201d<\/p>\n Unfortunately, a lower leg injury<\/a> delayed Sienna\u2019s college debut by 10 games. The younger Betts missed the loss to Texas, slowing down some of the flow Close is looking to build against a big-heavy lineup. But the plan for the Betts sisters is still very much in motion, even with limited playing time.<\/p>\n Reverse engineering success, one UCLA game at a time<\/p>\n Entering the new year with a healthy roster, UCLA will now have to balance expectations both inside and outside the locker room. Because regardless of how the season ends, significant change looms on the horizon.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s really tempting to be championship or bust<\/a>, and that could not be further from our mission,\u201d Close explained.<\/p>\n \u201cI am such a big believer that you talk about your end goal one time. And then you reverse engineer the process and habits it\u2019s going to take to get there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust staying present, recognizing that this is also a new team,\u201d senior Kiki Rice told JWS in October. \u201cAfter what happened last year, there\u2019s lessons in the past. [But we] really just focus on being our best versions of ourselves<\/a> every day.\u201d<\/p>\n UCLA might have fallen short against Texas last month. But they maintain faith that increased depth, veteran leadership, and a refreshed detail-oriented outlook can guide them all the way through the postseason.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were certain levels of preparation, certain ways that we needed to minimize distractions, certain ways we needed to handle all of the ways that are going to be pulling on our attention,\u201d Close said of the team\u2019s Final Four journey<\/a>, noting that she also learned some major lessons herself.<\/p>\n For now, UCLA is enjoying the moment \u2014 and the process \u2014 with the hope that the wins keep coming this spring.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is probably the most complete team I\u2019ve ever coached,\u201d Close added. \u201cIf we can stay healthy and stay focused, we\u2019re going to have big things ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n ![\"Center](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-2251642097.jpg\")
The Bruins are focused on improving their stats under the basket. (Jordan Teller\/ISI Photos\/ISI Photos via Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Center](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-2251642090.jpg\")
Senior center Lauren Betts is the star of UCLA\u2019s show this season. (Jordan Teller\/ISI Photos\/ISI Photos via Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Megan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-2245019698.jpg\")
Sienna Betts (CL) joined her sister Lauren at UCLA this season. (Jevone Moore\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"UCLA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-2253408189.jpg\")
UCLA is committed to taking it one game at a time this year. (Jordan Teller\/ISI Photos\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n