You could see the jubilation in the eyes of the UCLA basketball women’s team just after the buzzer sounded in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 game on Monday night.
The #6 Bruins’ 85-80 win over #3 Maryland was a landmark victory, not just because the Bruins got to the Sweet 16, but because they got to the Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive season.
In the history of UCLA women’s basketball, the Bruins had only been to the Sweet 16 a total of three times before Close took over. The last time they made an appearance was in 1999 when former coach Kathy Olivier took UCLA to the Elite Eight.