UCLA coach Cori Close emphasized maintaining perspective after the fifth-ranked Bruins shocked No. 1 South Carolina with a 77-62 victory on November 24. This was UCLA's first-ever win against a No. 1 team, having been 0-20 in previous attempts.
Close, inspired by her mentor, the late John Wooden, stated, "It's only November 24... We just cant get tired of doing things right." Star center Lauren Betts echoed the sentiment, focusing on team success over individual accolades.
The win capped a significant weekend in women's basketball, with Hannah Hidalgo and No. 6 Notre Dame defeating third-ranked Southern California 74-61 the day before.
The Bruins, now 5-0, dominated with suffocating defense and balanced scoring, led by Londynn Jones with 15 points. Freshman Elina Aarnisalo from Finland added 13 points and was praised by Betts as the team's most underrated player.
The victory was witnessed by an enthusiastic crowd of 13,659 and several former Bruins stars, including Ann Meyers Drysdale, Denise Curry, Maylana Martin, Natalie Williams, Nikki Blue, Noelle Quinn, and Natalie Nakase.
