In Reply to: Postgame presser posted by mh on April 05, 2026 at 16:52:06
UConn coaches (men and women) could learn something from Close and Staley.
"For UCLA, a championship lesson came from losing"
PHOENIX — It was all over except for the handshake, which can no longer be taken for granted after this spicy weekend. With 6.9 seconds remaining, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley rose from her bench seat and started that long, humble walk. Along the way, she patted an official on the back. When she reached UCLA coach Cori Close, she extended congratulations, and soon the two wrapped each other in an embrace.
The customary unfolded without incident, simple and warm and genuine. This wasn’t Geno Auriemma rebuffing Staley and abdicating sportsmanship. This was a healthy show of respect for winning and losing.
You have to appreciate both to grasp the deeper meaning of a Final Four that, despite featuring four super programs, lacked aesthetics and competitiveness. UCLA romped South Carolina, 79-51, on Sunday to capture its first NCAA women’s basketball title.
To be so dominant all season, the Bruins hid in plain sight because few truly believed they could win the whole thing, not after a 34-point loss to Connecticut in last year’s national semifinal. Not with the elite of the elite still standing in their way. One loss — and the extreme difficulty of breaking into the championship tier — had distorted the perception of them in a way that 37 wins in 38 games couldn’t rectify until the very end. But now that they’re on an elevated stage and drenched in confetti, look at what losing taught them.
And look at what happens when you deal with it properly.
That is the story of UCLA’s breakthrough, the charge for South Carolina, UConn and every team whose Easter didn’t end with applause, and the theme of a wild event that forced the reactions to be scrutinized more than the action.
A year ago, the Bruins learned how far away they really were. They were only two games away, but after that 85-51 loss to the Huskies, it felt like the task to get two more victories would be almost as immense as what it took for Close to lift the program to true contender status.
In order to advance, they needed to heal. In order to heal, they needed an honest audit. No platitudes about coming back stronger. An honest audit. UCLA came to the uncomfortable realization that being good enough to arrive isn’t the same as being great enough to win. The players, coaches and staff had to sit with that thought for an offseason. They had to live with that game video, that score, that gap. After adding a pair of high-scoring, high-profile transfers in Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker, they had to recalibrate to pursue a redemptive mission.
During the trophy presentation, Close acknowledged the dedication and sacrifice it took.
“I am just so humbled that they have chosen to commit to our mission,” she said. “Those commitments, not our feelings, led us to our destiny.”
In destroying South Carolina, the Bruins controlled the game in a way that suggested they had rehearsed that afternoon in their minds, over and over, for 12 months.