South Carolina, UCLA dedicated to growing women's basketball ahead of top-5 showdown

UCLA women’s basketball head coach Cori Close hears the naysayers.

“I’m very passionate about those people out there who say, ‘Last year was just the Caitlin Clark effect in women’s basketball,'” said Close, who is in her 14th season at the helm of the fifth-ranked Bruins.

“Caitlin Clark was spectacular for the sport — I mean, unbelievable. The tipping points that she helped us create are incredible, but there’s so much to celebrate in our great game right now. I want the viewership to continue to go up, the ratings to increase, attendance to grow, and I want corporate sponsorships to understand what an awesome investment it is to be invested in our sport. It’s not a charity. It’s an investment. Don’t miss this opportunity, world. Women’s basketball is here to stay.”

The sport has staying power because Close and other marquee coaches are backing up their words and taking on challenges that produce big-time games and events that are appointment viewing on TV. That’s what we get this weekend in women’s college hoops when No. 5 UCLA host No. 1 South Carolina at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday on FS1. In addition to UCLA’s showdown against the top-ranked Gamecocks, No. 3 USC hosted No. 6 Notre Dame on Saturday, so yes, Los Angeles is the place to be on the hardwood this weekend.

But it’s also a testament to what should be applauded nationally: the women’s game has momentum because the best teams are willing to play one another, something that is so smart to do off what Clark created. Last season, the 18.87 million who tuned in to the national championship game between South Carolina and Iowa saw a spectacle, with that audience being the largest that watched a basketball game of any kind — pro or college — since 2019.

Close wants to keep moving the needle and so does the coach of the reigning national champions, South Carolina’s Dawn Staley, which is exactly why they’ve agreed to keep the Bruins-Gamecocks matchups going. Close told FOX Sports that an annual neutral-site game will begin between the two teams next season.

“Dawn is somebody who has always been ‘grow-the-game’ minded,” said Close. “We were even going to do an event together to benefit our NIL money situation, and she was going to speak on our behalf at it. She’s done tremendous things for this sport. So, it adds another layer that we can play South Carolina inside Pauley Pavilion and against someone that I really respect that has a global mindset in growing the game. What a privilege to be a part of that.

“Then, you layer the Notre Dame-USC game on top of that and this is like a Final Four in November in Los Angeles. L.A. has become a place, a mecca, for girls and women’s basketball.”

Close’s comments about the Hollywood star power in the sport are certainly true with three of the five AP preseason All-Americans in women’s basketball coming from USC and UCLA, with Trojans stars Juju Watkins and Kiki Iriafen, along with Bruins star Kiki Rice, headlining the preseason honors.

Rice returned to the Bruins from a shoulder injury to make her season debut last Sunday, playing just 11 minutes due to medical protocol in what was a 101-52 UCLA win over Arkansas. What have the 4-0 Bruins shown this season? Their depth.

Junior Lauren Betts looks like one of America’s best players as the 6-foot-7 center is averaging 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, while Oregon State transfer Timea Gardiner is coming off a 23-point performance in the win over the Razorbacks. Freshman Elina Aarnisalo, who comes into UCLA with some professional experience having played in Finland, has taken on an increased role from the jump as Rice is making her way back, with the new Bruins point guard totaling 30 assists through the first four games.

But make no mistake about it: UCLA needs Rice to compete with the Gamecocks on Sunday.

“Kiki Rice is our program’s rock,” said Close, who has led UCLA to the Sweet 16 in six of her first 13 years on the job. “You don’t find it out as much just asking Kiki how she’s doing. You find out the most when you ask her teammates about her being back with us off the injury. There’s a calm that has come over our group because she’s back. That tells you what she means to this team.

Kiki Rice is still working her way back from a shoulder injury. (Photo by Greg Fiume/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

“I have been coaching basketball for 32 years and her work ethic is in the top five for the best I’ve ever seen. Her work ethic is just elite, and the way she attacks the game from an IQ standpoint and studying the game, getting extra work all the time, I have to kick her out of the gym. And because of her example, I now have to kick a lot of players out of the gym. She has created a culture where other players are seeking out extra work that would not be in a place that I have now because of her example. That’s greatness.”

As for greatness on the other side of the showdown, Staley’s team might not have had a preseason All-American, but the program that has won two of the last three national championships has a junior in Chloe Kitts who is nearly averaging a double-double with 14.0 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, while sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley is off to a strong start with 12.8 points per contest for the 5-0 Gamecocks.

So, what is Close’s game plan to be able to take down a South Carolina program that has gone 79-1 in its last 80 matchups?

Chloe Kitts and MiLaysia Fulwiley have led No. 1 South Carolina to another perfect start. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

“I think it’s actually a really simple game plan, but it’s really, really hard to execute because they’re that good and that consistent,” Close said. “We absolutely have to have great shot selection and take care of the ball. Almost 27% of South Carolina’s scoring comes in transition. So, if you want to slow them down in transition, you better have good shot selection, play the paint and take care of the ball. You can’t have live-ball turnovers, so that’s going to force us to grow. Against Arkansas, it was the first time we had under 12 turnovers. That’s going to be really, really huge. But, the number isn’t as important as whether or not they are live-ball turnovers.

“The second thing you have to do against them is rebound the basketball. The amount of paint touches they hunt for and get is exceptional. They’re also different than past teams at South Carolina because of how many shooters they have on the perimeter. But still, the percentage of shots they take in the paint and off second-chance opportunities is immense. So, if you take away the paint, rebounds and transition, you’ve got a really good chance. If we can make them take hard 2s off the dribble, that’s going to be the key to the game. It’s easier said than done, but it will be really important.

“It comes down to transition D, rebounding the ball and taking care of the ball. It sounds simple, but it’s compliments to South Carolina because of how hard they make it for you to do that.”

As for what a raucous Pauley Pavilion crowd and the national television audience on FS1 can expect on Sunday afternoon, UCLA junior Gabriela Jaquez, the younger sister of Miami Heat standout and former Bruins great Jaime Jaquez, said it best.

“If you come to Pauley Pavilion on Sunday afternoon, you’re in for the best show you’ll see in Los Angeles,” said Jaquez, who is averaging 8.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game for the Bruins this season.

“What Caitlin Clark did in this sport was amazing, and she brought so many eyeballs to the sport, and I appreciate the new fans that we have. I want people to keep learning about UCLA women’s basketball and women’s basketball in general, and if you do your research and watch other teams, you’ll find out who these people are and what makes them great. This sport is only going to keep growing. Our program will only keep growing. And I’m really excited for this momentum to keep pushing forward.”

With a weekend in L.A. like this one and a top-five matchup that South Carolina and UCLA ensured would happen, that’s exactly how you keep doing just that in November.

John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.