Thursday, March 28

Women’s basketball to commence season with home game against Cal State Fullerton


Senior forward Michaela Onyenwere will begin her fourth and potentially final year for the Bruins on Wednesday when her team takes on Cal State Fullerton in the season opener at Pauley Pavilion. (MacKenzie Coffman/Daily Bruin senior staff)


Amid uncertainty, Wednesday will mark the end of an extended offseason for the Bruins.

No. 9 UCLA women’s basketball will host Cal State Fullerton to commence its 2020-2021 season. The Bruins have a 25-10 all-time series record against the Titans, although this will be coach Cori Close’s first Bruin-Titan matchup of her career. The last meeting between these two teams was back in 2008, ending in a 78-62 UCLA victory.

After having her first collegiate season cut short, sophomore guard Charisma Osborne said she and her teammates have been preparing and learning to adapt to anything that may come their way.

“We’ve been reading a book called ‘It Takes What It Takes,’ learning about having a neutral mindset and being neutral to the things we can’t control,” Osborne said. “A lot of us on the team have been trying to do that, working through and adapting to things we can’t control.”

Last season, the Bruins finished with a 26-5 record and were preparing to make some noise in the NCAA tournament before postseason play was canceled due to of the COVID-19 pandemic. Only recently was UCLA’s schedule for this year announced, which has yet to be finalized but features 22 matchups against fellow Pac-12 teams that make up the top division in the country.

“We didn’t even know if we were going to have a season,” said senior forward Michaela Onyenwere. “Just to be able to have hopefully 22 games, we’re really grateful for that. We’re able to get constant exposure and compete against the best so I’m grateful to be in a conference that always produces success and talent.”

Both Onyenwere and Osborne were recently named to the Preseason All Pac-12 team, while Onyenwere was also named a Preseason AP All-American and to the Naismith Trophy Watch List, which honors the top collegiate player of the year.

Even with these honors, both players remain more focused on consistently improving and working with their teammates.

“That’s the great thing about (Onyenwere),” Close said. “She really has never been after those things, it’s just a byproduct of her working her butt off and being a great teammate.”

The travel restrictions into the U.S. because of the COVID-19 pandemic also leaves freshman forward Emily Bessoir as the sole first-year with the team. Her fellow freshmen, guard Gemma Potter and forward Izzy Anstey – both from Australia – are unable to join the team because of the aforementioned restrictions.

Even still, Bessoir has made an immediate impact, earning praise from Close.

“She’s been forced to really step up, and she’s very skilled and ready to do so,” Close said. “She adds a ton to our shooting, so versatile, basketball IQ off the charts. She’s already been a great addition both as a rim protector and also on the offensive end with her versatility.”

Close acknowledged the unprecedented adversity facing this team while emphasizing how it has helped the players grow as a team.

“Some schools have been practicing all summer long – we didn’t start until Sept. 21,” Close said. “My only two things I have asked of them is that they come with great gratitude and joy and they work their butt off to get better every single day. It’ll be a process. We just have to focus on the days in front of us because this is not a normal year.”

Through the uncertainty and unexpected nature of this calendar year, Close said the Bruins will look to maintain their own consistency by focusing on building off their fifth-straight 20-win season under Close last year.

“I’m really proud of how they’ve done whatever it takes to put the program first,” Close said. “And I’m proud of the sacrifices that they’ve been willing to make so that we can be ready for the season.”

The season opener is scheduled to tip off Wednesday at 2 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion.

Sports senior staff

Moon is currently a Sports senior staff writer. He was previously an assistant Sports editor on the women's basketball, men's soccer, track and field and cross country beats and a contributor on the women's basketball and women's tennis beats, while also contributing for Arts. He is a fourth-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student.


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