Sports
UCLA coach Cori Close calls out Bruins who didn't 'do their jobs' after sweep by USC
In Hollywood, blockbuster hits always get a sequel — even in women’s college basketball. UCLA versus USC I was an instant classic, fit for the silver screen, but the sequel was a box-office flop that left the Bruins awestruck.
Despite the same glitz and glamour as the original, the final scene was anything but a happy ending for No. 2 UCLA, which fell 80-67 to No. 4 USC on Saturday night at Pauley Pavilion, cementing a Trojans sweep of the season series.
In short, it was brutal.
“I’m just really pissed off,” Bruins coach Cori Close said. “We didn’t show up and do our jobs.”
Close, her face flushed with anger, crumpled the box score in front of her and slammed her fist. Beside her, junior guard Gabriela Jaquez sat with reddened eyes, her voice breaking as she fielded questions.
UCLA faces “a very weird dichotomy,” Close said. The Bruins opened the season undefeated and finished with just two losses, yet all she could focus on was how angry she felt about their performance and response to the drubbing. “We let each other down today,” she said.
She pointed to Jaquez and point guard Kiki Rice, who also sat beside her, as the exceptions, praising their relentless effort. Jaquez made plays on both ends, while Rice led the team with 16 points, attacking the rim and repeatedly getting to the free-throw line.
USC guard JuJu Watkins blocks UCLA guard Gabriela Jaquez’s shot Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
For Rice, the disappointment mirrored last year’s Sweet 16 loss to Louisiana State in the NCAA tournament.
“They were fighting their butts off, trying everything to bring everybody with them,” Close said. But she didn’t mince words about the rest of the team, demanding “more people that can be counted on to do their jobs — period.”
Close said her players were prepared and knew exactly what to do but failed to execute. She emphasized that she trusts their heart and work ethic but “something got in the way of us doing our job.”
“We are not attacking them as humans, we are committed to their best, and when they are operating less than their best, it is our job to get them to make a course correction,” Close said.
The game started as many have for UCLA — the Bruins were sluggish on offense and their opponent seized the early momentum.
Star center Lauren Betts, typically a steady presence, again struggled to score against USC’s defense. In what may have been her most frustrating game of the season — 11 points and 11 rebounds — she was whistled for three traveling violations in the paint and often let her frustration show as she pleaded with the officials for calls.
As if the first loss to USC hadn’t cost the Bruins enough — an undefeated season and the No. 1 ranking — a second defeat denied them a Big Ten title and a top seed in the conference tournament.
Close issued a familiar call to action, and with March upon them, the stakes are rising.
“This is the way this train is going, and if you don’t think you can make the changes to be on it, tell us now,” Close said. “The way we turn it around is by people making a commitment, a choice and being counted on.”
Close hopes a second straight loss to USC will serve as a humbling moment that forces her team to regroup before it’s too late.
“The pain of where you are has to be greater than the pain it will take to change,” Close said. “Do you want the pain of discipline or the pain of regret? Right now we’re dealing with the pain of regret — so what are you willing to do about it?”
The next 48 hours will be crucial for UCLA as it prepares for the Big Ten tournament.
Initially the Bruins planned to take two days off, but Close adjusted the schedule, giving her players a day to sit with the defeat, watch film and assess their next steps. Monday’s practice, she said, would be a chance “to figure out what needs to happen next.”
Both UCLA and USC secured double byes in the tournament, setting the stage for a potential championship showdown — a third act in their saga. It would be UCLA’s chance to correct the mistakes of its losses, and a matchup Close would “100%” welcome.
“If you’re a competitor, yes, bring it on,” Close said. “If we don’t, there’s something bigger wrong. If anyone in our locker room would answer differently, don’t come back.”
The Sparks are finally in the win column, but the outcome was in doubt late Friday night.
Behind double-digit scoring from all five starters, the Sparks had by far their best offensive showing of the season, shooting 63.8% during a 99-95 win over the expansion Toronto Tempo.
The Tempo didn’t make things easy, cutting the deficit to two points late and later trailing by just three with 31 seconds remaining and possession of the ball. Marina Mabrey missed a three-point attempt before late Tempo fouls gave the Sparks enough of a cushion to win.
Kelsey Plum nearly claimed a double-double with 27 points and nine assists, while Dearica Hamby had 19 points with seven rebounds and Nneka Ogwumike scored 20 points.
Erica Wheeler, who started in place of Ariel Atkins (concussion), scored 10 points with seven assists and was a plus-16 as the primary ball handler after starting the season two for 16 from the field. That freed up Plum to be in position to score, setting up a much more efficient Sparks offense.
Toronto was shorthanded in the frontcourt without starting center Temi Fagbenle (right shoulder), and the Sparks trio of bigs had a field day with 54 points in the paint.
The Sparks came out firing on Friday, opening with a 17-2 run.
The Tempo went on a 10-0 burst heading into the second quarter but the Sparks countered to maintain momentum and led 46-38 at halftime.
A Wheeler three-pointer early in the third quarter gave the Sparks a 20-point lead. The Tempo cut it to three midway through the fourth while Brittany Sykes (27 points, seven assists) sparked Toronto’s rally. The Tempo put up more shots than the Sparks, 70-58, largely because of a 10-2 offensive-rebounding gap.
Cameron Brink’s 10 points were the only ones provided by the Sparks’ bench, while the Tempo got 42 points from reserves.
Toronto was coming off its first win in franchise history on Wednesday when it defeated Seattle but struggled against a more complete offensive team in the Sparks.
In her return to Los Angeles after winning a national championship with UCLA this spring, Tempo rookie Kiki Rice netted 11 points.
Kate Martin made her Sparks debut as a developmental player with Atkins and Sania Feagin (lower left leg) unavailable and picked up one rebound in six minutes.
The Sparks will face Toronto again on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena.
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The WNBA season has been in session for about a week, so it is far too early to make assumptions about teams. That doesn’t mean we won’t make them; it’s just too early to really believe it. I lost my first WNBA bet this season, so I’m hoping to avenge that loss here as the Sky take on the Mercury.
The Chicago Sky are one of the most poorly run franchises in basketball. They have had some great names on their team and only one championship to show for it.
Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner shoots over Indiana Fever guard Aerial Powers in the first half at PHX Arena. (Rick Scuteri/Imagn Images)
There really isn’t a clear indication of what is wrong with the franchise, but they’ve never been able to retain their talent. Aside from Kamilla Cardoso, I can’t name a player on this team that they’ve actually drafted. They just seem to get good players and then show them the door.
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Even though they’ve had questionable front office decisions, they seem to have put together a solid team for this season – something I didn’t expect before the season started.
They are 2-0, which is too early to really say they are a good team. I also want to reserve judgment until they face a team with a longer history than last year. The Portland Tempo played their first-ever game against the Sky, and Golden State was good last year, but still is in just their second season of existence.
The Phoenix Mercury are actually considered one of the best franchises in the league. I’m sure there are issues that people have reported, but for the most part, they have good facilities, and people want to play for their team. They made it all the way to the WNBA Finals last season before falling to the Las Vegas Aces. This year, they are looking to restart that journey and see if they can win the last game of the year.
Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper dribbles the ball in the second half at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C., on July 27, 2025. (Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images)
It will need to come with some better play than they’ve shown through three games this year. They are just 1-2 for the year with a 0-1 home record. The lone win was a blowout victory over the Aces (a clear revenge game if we’ve ever seen one). Then they lost the next two games against Golden State and Minnesota. Losing to the Lynx wouldn’t be a problem, but they didn’t have Napheesa Collier, who still has an ankle injury.
I expect the Mercury to make some adjustments for this game. They haven’t looked very crisp to begin the year, but they’ve been strong on offense, averaging 87 points per game.
The Sky are going to keep relying on their offense to do just enough and their defense to lock in. The Sky do have an edge on the interior, so they can get buckets fairly easily down low. I like the over 166.5 in this game.
Chicago Sky guard Skylar Diggins chases the ball during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on May 13, 2026. (Bob Kupbens/Imagn Images)
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I also think it is worth betting on Kahleah Copper to go over her point total. Copper had two rough games before she broke out in the last game. Now she has the same sight lines and can attack the bigs from the Sky with her athleticism. Since going to Phoenix, she has scored 29, 7, 16, 25 and 28 points in five games against them.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
Tom Harp has been coaching volleyball at Granada Hills High for so long that few remember he won a City Section championship as a co-head football coach with Darryl Stroh in 1987.
In the 1990s, he turned exclusively to coaching boys’ and girls’ volleyball, winning a combined 15 City titles and making 28 finals appearances. The top-seeded Highlanders will try to deliver a seventh Open Division championship on Saturday when they face West Valley League rival Chatsworth in a 4 p.m. final at Birmingham.
The league rivals split their two West Valley matches, with each going five games. Chatsworth knocked off 17-time champion Palisades in the semifinals. MIT-bound Grant Chang is Chatsworth’s 6-foot-6 powerful outside hitter.
All-City volleyball player RJ Francisco of Granada Hills shows off his hitting skills against Chatsworth.
(Craig Weston)
Granada Hills has RJ Francisco, who had 19 kills in a win over Chatsworth.
The Southern Section Division 1 final is Friday night, with Mira Costa taking on Loyola in a 7:30 p.m. match at Cerritos College.
Regional and state playoffs begin next week.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
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