UCLA women are not seeking moral victories vs. UConn

After beating San Jose State by astir 80 points, the UCLA women’s hoops squad volition crook its attraction connected Saturday to the No. 3 squad successful the federation — UConn.

“I expect america to compete. I expect america to improve,” manager Cori Close said. “This is not astir going to get a motivation victory. We’re not playing the 4 letters connected the beforehand of their jerseys, we’re playing possession by possession.”

The Bruins got retired to a 3-0 commencement this play earlier dropping games to Kent State and South Dakota State. They won their adjacent two, which included a 112-33 triumph implicit San Jose State. UConn, though coming disconnected a nonaccomplishment to unranked Georgia Tech, volition beryllium UCLA’s toughest situation yet.

The Huskies (5-2) person beaten 3 ranked teams truthful acold this season, but volition beryllium taking connected the Bruins (5-2) without prima subordinate Paige Bueckers. The defender volition beryllium retired for aggregate weeks with a tibial plateau fracture successful her near knee, an wounded sustained successful a Dec. 5 crippled against Notre Dame.

Bueckers is 1 of 3 guards who volition beryllium sidelined for the game, alongside freshman Azzi Fudd and sophomore Nika Mühl.

“I truly privation she was playing,” said Close, who antecedently coached Bueckers connected a USA U19 team. “And I accidental that successful each sincerity, but much importantly, I conscionable privation her thing but the champion and a speedy healing. But I deliberation UConn inactive has got a full batch of truly bully players.”

The Huskies volition apt trust connected Christyn Williams, who was the No. 1 prep enlistee successful the people of 2018, to people points. Williams averages 14.7 points per game, second-most connected the squad down Bueckers. Senior guardant Olivia Nelson-Ododa could besides spot an accrued role.

Graduate transportation Iimar’i Thomas leads UCLA successful scoring, averaging 19.1 ppg to spell with 4.3 rebounds per crippled successful her archetypal twelvemonth with the program.

“I emotion playing with Iimar’i,” UCLA’s Charisma Osborne said. “She’s a really, truly bully hoops player, precise smart. And she conscionable makes makes hoops casual due to the fact that everybody has to defender her and she has specified a large station presence.”

Osborne is close down Thomas successful presumption of scoring astatine 18.5 ppg and is besides 2nd connected the squad successful rebounds with 5.5 per game.

Graduate defender Natalie Chou is coming disconnected a Pac-12 Player of the Week show against San Jose State and is shooting .467 from down the arc portion scoring 13.4 ppg.

Saturday’s crippled volition beryllium the first-ever regular play collegiate women’s hoops crippled to aerial connected ABC. With 8 caller players connected the team, the Bruins volition beryllium connected a nationalist signifier arsenic they strive to improve.

“I deliberation we inactive person a agelong ways to go,” Osborne said. “But I deliberation the past crippled we took a batch of steps and adjacent past week successful practice, we took a batch of steps and growth. And I deliberation however we hole this week and however we play UConn volition archer america a batch more.”

UCLA (5-2) vs. UConn (5-2)

When: 10 a.m. Saturday

Where: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey

TV: ABC