UCLA women’s basketball is a No. 1 seed, just not the No. 1 seed.
That designation went to defending national champion UConn, which was awarded the top overall seed when the NCAA Tournament bracket was announced Sunday.
Boos from UCLA fans filled the Mo Ostin Center on campus as soon as the Huskies were announced as having edged the Bruins for that recognition.
The Bruins (31-1) had a strong case, with more Quad 1 victories and more wins over nationally ranked teams, but the Huskies (34-0) were the nation’s only undefeated team.
As expected, UCLA will open the tournament on Saturday at Pauley Pavilion against No. 16 seed Cal Baptist (23-10). Assuming the Bruins aren’t upset, they will face the winner of another first-round game between No. 8 seed Oklahoma State and No. 9 seed Princeton on Monday.
“This actually played out most of the way we thought it was going to,” UCLA coach Cori Close told the fans and boosters gathered inside the team’s practice facility. “We’re excited for the matchups we have. … Obviously, we have tremendous respect for everybody in that bracket, but this is about us. This is about us playing the best version of ourselves, us playing our best basketball, us being aggressive.”
Heading into the tournament with four consecutive losses, No. 9 seed USC (17-13) will face No. 8 seed Clemson (21-11) on Saturday in Columbia, S.C. Should the Trojans prevail, they would likely meet top-seeded South Carolina in the second round on the Gamecocks’ home court.
UCLA enters the tournament with considerable momentum, as well as lofty aspirations. The Bruins have won a program-record 25 consecutive games, including a record blowout in the Big Ten Tournament championship game, last losing against Texas in late November.
They’re seeking a first NCAA championship to go with the AIAW title they won in 1978 behind the strong play of Ann Meyers and Denise Curry.
If things go as planned, Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez & Co. will be UCLA’s new trailblazers.
