All Nike-sponsored colleges enjoying within the NCAA match put on completely different colours of the identical warmup shirt. The now-ubiquitous long-sleeve white shirt has “Nothing Easy” printed on the entrance in daring letters. An emphatic interval punctuates the sentence and every college’s brand is printed beneath.
What makes UCLA’s in any other case cookie-cutter postseason look stand out is on the again: “We” printed over a horizontal bar and “me.”
Throughout the match that transforms careers and makes stars, UCLA is recommitting to its mantra of “we over me” to raise this system to new heights.
“We’re only playing for the letters on the front of the jersey,” coach Cori Shut mentioned. “And trusting that when you play fully committed to only playing for what’s on the front of your jersey, that usually it comes back to the letters on the back of your jersey 10-fold.”
The highest-seeded Bruins host No. 8 Richmond on Sunday at 7 p.m. (ESPN) at Pauley Pavilion within the second spherical of Spokane Regional 1. UCLA (31-2) is attempting to return to the Candy 16 for the third consecutive 12 months.
Whereas selflessness has been a pillar of UCLA’s program beneath Shut, the Bruins overpassed the objective towards the tip of the common season. Graduate scholar Charlisse Leger-Walker pointed it out throughout a group assembly after the Bruins misplaced to USC at residence of their regular-season finale.
UCLA began reemphasizing “we over me” going into the Massive Ten match. The tactic labored completely because the Bruins gained their first convention match title since 2006. Basketball director of operations Pam Walker then had the “we over me” image added to the backs of UCLA’s shirts for the NCAA match.
“Throughout the season we’ve had highs and lows, and it’s just a reminder of if we stick together, we can achieve what we want to happen,” ahead Angela Dugalic mentioned.
Dugalic, a former five-star recruit who performed for the Serbian nationwide group through the Paris Olympics, is one in all 9 former McDonald’s All-People on UCLA’s roster. The roster bursting with expertise makes it much more essential — and troublesome — to seek out gamers who’re prepared to purchase into UCLA’s abundance mentality, Shut mentioned.
As an alternative of those that fret about how coaches will cut up up the 200 minutes of enjoying time accessible in every sport, Shut is on the lookout for gamers who need to join the “most impactful growth experience.” When ahead Janiah Barker got here by way of the switch portal, Shut questioned if the Texas A&M star actually understood the project.
Barker, one other former McDonald’s All-American recruit, averaged 26.5 minutes per sport as a sophomore at Texas A&M. She was a longtime starter averaging 12.2 factors per sport. The Bruins, who have been returning the core of a gifted junior class that took the group to the No. 2 rating within the nation, wouldn’t have a big function for her.
She was extra occupied with what she might carry to the Bruins.
UCLA gamers bounce up from the bench to have fun the win over Southern on Friday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Instances)
Shut referred to as the athletic 6-foot-4 ahead a “missing piece” for the Bruins’ hopes to succeed in their first NCAA Remaining 4.
“She brings great energy on the court,” junior Gabriela Jaquez mentioned. “We really feed off of her. And the way she rebounds and jumps so high to grab those boards and fights down there is really huge. The level of physicality she brings is really important to our team.”
Barker, who was chosen Massive Ten sixth participant of the 12 months and averages 7.7 factors and 6.1 rebounds per sport, was one in all six scorers in double figures for the Bruins throughout their opening-round rout of Southern on Friday as she got here off the bench for 10 factors and 10 rebounds. The Bruins overwhelmed the No. 16-seeded Jaguars, who have been two days faraway from their first NCAA match win in program historical past, by dishing 23 assists on 26 subject targets.
Naturally, the group that emphasizes the group’s success over particular person accolades led the Massive Ten in assists per sport this season.
