Cori Close pulls up the year-old film for clues. The UCLA coach searches clips of UCLA’s Sweet 16 loss to Louisiana State last year for reminders of sets to run, defensive game plans that could work and mistakes to be rectified as the teams meet again in the Elite Eight on Sunday. But Close's most obvious takeaway goes beyond UCLA’s own scouting report.
It's that Lauren Betts isn’t just good anymore. The 6-foot-7 center has crossed over to dominant.
Coming off 31 points and 10 rebounds in a Sweet 16 win over Mississippi, Betts’ progression from budding star to unstoppable force has pushed UCLA to the brink of its first NCAA Final Four. Perhaps the national semifinal isn't even a high enough ceiling to contain the UCLA's first Associated Press first-team All-American.
“UCLA looks like a team that can win the national championship to me," Mississippi coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said, "because I don't — like, who is going to stop her?"
LSU will get the next try. The No. 3-seeded Tigers face UCLA in the Spokane Regional 1 final Sunday at noon .
The rematch of last year's Sweet 16 will take place one year exactly since the Tigers knocked the Bruins out in Albany, N.Y. Betts had 14 points and 17 rebounds in the game, but UCLA wilted down the stretch. After taking a three-point lead with 2:51 remaining, the Bruins were outscored 14-2.
Read more:Lauren Betts dominates again as UCLA advances to Elite Eight showdown with LSU
The Bruins often recalled the empty feeling in last year’s locker room as motivation to improve this season. The sight of UCLA and LSU in the same region sent a murmur through the crowd at UCLA’s selection show watch party.
Yet when asked Saturday of last year’s game, LSU coach Kim Mulkey recalled very few details. Only that LSU won.
Guard Flau’jae Johnson, who had a team-high 24 points and 12 rebounds in last year’s game, estimates UCLA (33-2) is a better team now than last season. But the Tigers (31-5) have improved in their own ways.
While they lost star Angel Reese, who had 16 points and 11 rebounds against the Bruins, forwards Aneesah Morrow and Sa’Myah Smith formed their own dynamic frontcourt duo. They became the only teammates in NCAA tournament history with 20-point double-doubles and five assists each in LSU’s second-round win over Florida ...
