"Hope we get a chance to do it in Tampa": UCLA HC Cori Close eyes rematch with JuJu Watkins' USC during March Madness after Big Ten title win

UCLA coach Cori Close has expressed her desire to witness another clash with JuJu Watkins and the USC Trojans during March Madness. The Bruins finally got their revenge against the Trojans after defeating their rivals 72-67 on Sunday to claim the Big Ten championship.

UCLA suffered its two losses of the season to the Trojans (on Feb. 13 and March 1), which made Sunday’s victory more satisfying. After the tournament title win, Bruins coach Cori Close was quick to express her hunger for another matchup against USC in the NCAA Tournament.

“I remember the very first time we played at their [USC Trojans] place,” Close said. “Lindsay [Gottlieb] said that she was really hoping to play against us four times. I think that it would mean a lot for us both to be No. 1 seeds.

“I think you have to prove yourself, right? Your play has to back that up, and I hope we do get a chance to do it in Tampa a fourth time.”

UCLA is expected to secure a No. 1 seed ahead of the tournament, with a possibility that USC will also earn a top spot. The Bruin's Big Ten Tournament title win was their first conference championship since the 2005-06 season, as they also became just the fifth major conference program to win a conference tournament in their first season in a new league.

Before the final, the Bruins were ranked fourth in the AP Top 25 last week behind UConn, USC and Texas. Their eventual tournament win and Texas’ loss to South Carolina in the SEC championship propelled them to reclaim the No. 1 spot.

UCLA ended the season with a 30-2 overall record and a 16-2 record in Big Ten play. With the NCAA Tournament around the corner, the Bruins await Selection Sunday on Sunday to confirm their official seeding.

Cori Close praises UCLA’s effort after Big Ten championship win

Cori Close praised her Bruins after they defeated the Trojans to secure the Big Ten championship. After the game, Close did not hold back in her assessment of the squad as she highlighted their determination and fighting spirit.

Speaking after the game on Sunday, Close mentioned the atmosphere in the locker room after they went into halftime 10 points down.

“I really wondered what their eyes were going to look like when I went into the locker room at halftime,” Close said. “And they were poised and determined. They knew they had not played their best, and they didn’t do the things we needed to do, but they still believed they could turn it.”

Cori Close’s assessment of her players proved true as the Bruins turned the game around to win 72-67. UCLA restricted USC to just nine points and 13 points in the third quarter and fourth quarter, respectively.

The Bruins’ win took their record to 30-2 for the season, the first time in program history that they secured 30 wins.