While 2020 may have come to end, matchups against undefeated Pac-12 opponents continue into the new year for the Bruins.
After concluding the calendar year with a 61-49 loss to No. 1 Stanford (8-0, 5-0 Pac-12), No. 11 UCLA women’s basketball (5-2, 3-2) will kick off 2021 with a road matchup against undefeated No. 8 Oregon (8-0, 6-0) Sunday.
Despite calling this season the hardest in her 28 years of basketball, coach Cori Close said she’s excited to see where her team is at as they take on another highly ranked opponent.
“I think about how many people never get tested against top-10 opponents. … We’ve already had two opportunities, and we get another one this weekend – how cool is that?” Close said. “I just get excited for another opportunity to compete, excited for an opportunity to grow and excited for another opportunity to have a gauge of where we are on this crazy trajectory to be ready for the postseason.”
In last year’s lone matchup between the two teams, then-No. 3 Oregon defeated then-No. 7 UCLA 80-66 in Pauley Pavilion behind 18 points from the eventual 2020 No. 1 overall WNBA Draft pick, Sabrina Ionescu.
This season, without Ionescu, the Ducks still have one of the top-scoring offenses in the Pac-12. Oregon averages 85.1 points per game, which ranks second in the conference and above UCLA’s fourth-place 74.4. The Ducks also lead the Pac-12 in made three-pointers with 75 – 12 more than the next highest team in Stanford – and 26 more than UCLA.
In addition to strong closeouts and boxouts on the defensive end, Close said aggressive play from her offense will give the Bruins a better chance at slowing down the Ducks.
“They really hang their hat on their efficiency offensively,” Close said. “We need to make them really defend us and exert energy to keep us out of the paint, keep us off the boards, and I think all of a sudden that makes things easier on the defensive end for us.”
The Bruins’ road trip will be limited to just the one game in Eugene after their New Year’s Day game against Oregon State (3-3, 1-3) was postponed Dec. 26 because of COVID-19 protocols within the Beaver program. This marks the fourth time a UCLA women’s basketball game has been canceled or rescheduled this season because of an opponent’s COVID-19 protocols.
Two days after losing their chance to play their first scheduled game of the new year, the Bruins were given the opportunity to focus on something else to start 2021 – welcoming a new player. UCLA announced Monday that 2021 recruit Dominique Darius joined the women’s basketball team after the now-freshman guard enrolled early at UCLA for the upcoming winter quarter.
Senior forward Michaela Onyenwere said it didn’t take long for Darius to introduce herself at practice.
“She’s kind of a dog, you can already see that in her first three days,” Onyenwere said. “I’m excited for her to be able to hopefully contribute to our team. … I think she’s going to be a great player just because of her natural leadership abilities.”
Darius, an ESPN top-30 recruit, officially committed to UCLA on Nov. 13. Despite being a high school senior, Darius chose to enroll in UCLA classes early and immediately join the team’s active roster after learning her senior season for Blair Academy in New Jersey was in jeopardy because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After just a few practices together, redshirt junior guard Lindsey Corsaro said the newcomer isn’t afraid to put herself out there.
“She’s already really on top of things as far as asking questions and wanting to learn,” Corsaro said. “I’ve been really impressed with her, you can tell she has a really strong voice and she wants to use it.”
With redshirt junior guard Chantel Horvat set to miss her third straight game with a lower leg injury, there’s an empty space in the rotation that Darius could potentially fill right away.
Regardless of how soon she joins the lineup, Close said her addition to the team benefits all parties involved.
“She gets to understand at least a little bit of a taste of what it takes at this level, and it doesn’t count against her eligibility,” Close said. “She’s really in a fortunate situation that way, and then obviously with our numbers, it’s really great to have another body. … This is a win-win for (her), so just grow every day, give to the team and then we’ll see where we land.”
UCLA is scheduled to face off against Oregon at 1 p.m. Sunday from Matthew Knight Arena.
