No. 1 UCLA women’s basketball is adapting to being hunted

No. 1 UCLA expects to be tested when it opens Big Ten play in Seattle against Washington on Sunday.

The Bruins (8-0) got a taste of what it’s like to be the most hunted team in women’s basketball during the Rainbow Wahine Showdown in Hawaii.

“I was thankful to have a hostile crowd,” UCLA coach Cori Close said of the crowd in Hawaii. “It’s going to be more so that way at UW this weekend. … They’re a really good team. We have a huge target on our back now, so I was thankful for the adversity and what that forced us to face.”

The Bruins will face a team that has overcome adversity. Coming off a 16-15 campaign in 2023, revamped Washington (7-2) has hit the ground running.

“They’ve added a lot more dimension to their offense this year,” Close said. “That really good recruiting class last year is now a year older, and they’re all together, so they have really good chemistry.”

Washington’s only hiccups were an early 82-68 road loss to Montana and a 67-68 road loss to No. 5 Louisiana State, a game which the Huskies led for almost all four quarters before falling in the final seconds.

Washington is led by top scorer Sayvia Sellers (14.8 ppg), a key member of the Huskies’ strong 2023 recruiting class. Close noted that Sellers has shown significant improvement, particularly in her ability to drive and score efficiently in transition.

“They definitely have our respect and our attention,” Close said.

The road ahead for the Bruins doesn’t get any easier, with nine Big Ten teams ranked in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll.

UCLA is responding to that challenge by pushing to improve, moving beyond its early upset of then-No. 1 South Carolina.

“The answer to every question is, get better,” Close said. “This week, we’re really trying to not be such ball watchers … too much standing around and watching the ball. We want to have much more efficiency and activity.”

Rice update

Junior point guard Kiki Rice returned from Hawaii with her groove fully restored, Close said. Rice, who missed the first few games because of a lingering shoulder injury, has regained the form that made her one of the Bruins’ top three scorers the last two seasons.

“Obviously, I wanted to come back in time to play for the South Carolina game,” Rice said. “It was tough for that to be my first full game back, but I think having those three games in Hawaii definitely got my feet under me.”

Rice’s performance was a highlight of the three-game series for Close. The coach said it was clear Rice regained her swagger and no longer looked tentative, shooting with confidence.

Getting on the court was a battle for Rice, who had to weigh her desire to play against the potential harm in returning too soon.

“I’m feeling a lot better,” Rice said. “As every game goes on and every week of practice, I just have more time getting involved in everything, [and] just feeling comfortable out there and back to myself.”

Rice’s return from injury, beginning with her first game against Arkansas, has been a gradual process. After playing limited minutes against the Razorbacks, she has had more freedom on the court, averaging 13.3 points on 60.6% shooting, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

Despite the emergence of Finnish freshman guard Elina Aarnisalo, Rice has averaged 22.8 minutes since her return. Close has emphasized the importance of recovery and taking time to relax, but Rice still is trying to work on shooting drills after practice.

“I just talked to her about it about five minutes ago and said, ‘Look, you need to take a complete day off,’” Close said. “I have to kick Kiki out every week. In fact, when she was trying to do her extra work, I was like, ‘Bye, Kiki.’ She doesn’t really listen very well.”

Two Bruins redshirt

Guard Charlisse Leger-Walker and forward Amanda Muse will sit out for the remainder of the season.

Leger-Walker, a graduate student, will take a medical redshirt, which allows the Bruins to retain the 23-year-old for the 2025-26 season. The transfer from Washington State tore an anterior cruciate ligament in January while playing for the Cougars against the Bruins.

“Although we would prefer her to be fully healthy and playing with us right now, we are really excited to announce that Charlisse will be coming back for another year,” Close said.

Despite missing the final month and a half of the season, Leger-Walker earned a spot on the All-Pac-12 team (both coaches and media) and was nominated for the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year award.

Leger-Walker pushed to play this season, and the Bruins anticipated featuring the standout scorer, but she still is getting back to full strength, and Close is excited to have Leger-Walker for one more season.

“Her impact has been so great, even before she’s ever touched the floor,” Close said. “I can only imagine what it’s going to be like when she’s able to be on the floor on a consistent basis.”

Muse, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, will redshirt to continue her development. Muse appeared in 19 games during her freshman season, averaging 7.7 minutes. In a limited role, she made a strong defensive impact in the post, recording 12 blocks.

“I cannot say enough good things about how she is developing and the work she’s putting in,” Close said.