UCLA women’s basketball staying grounded amid new developments in the sport

LOS ANGELES — Players from the No. 1 UCLA women’s basketball team were scattered around the Mo Ostin Center on Friday morning, each cradling a black-and-white composition book.

“Basketball is what I do, it is not who I am,” head coach Cori Close repeated to them in a firm, encouraging tone.

Each player was etching 10 to 12 “what-went-wells” from the morning’s lift, film session and practice. The purpose was to get their minds off of the trials of a very difficult day of training ahead of a nine-day, three-game road trip — which is also coming at a historic time for women’s sports.

The NCAA unanimously voted to approve a pay structure for women playing in the NCAA tournament on Jan. 15. Performance units that represent revenue will be awarded to teams that make the tournament and additional units will be given to teams that advance.

It’s similar to the system that has been used for men’s college basketball, although revenue distributed through the men’s tournament will surpass that of the women’s.

“It doesn’t need to be equal in numbers right now,” Close said. “There needed to be a sense that reflected the growth of our sport and that we were not a Title IX box to be checked. We were a very valuable asset that’s worth investing in. And this was a very, very major milestone.”

The money that teams earn can be used in multiple areas of the school’s athletics, including scholarships for athletes in any sport, coaching salaries, training facilities, stadiums, ballparks and arenas.

UCLA (17-0 overall, 6-0 Big Ten Conference) has now spent eight weeks as the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 rankings and is one of two unbeaten teams left in the country alongside LSU. The Bruins’ 17-0 start is the best in program history and 12 games remain on the regular season schedule.

There is money to be earned if the Bruins can keep this pace of success, which Close hopes will draw the attention of higher-ups in the University.

“When both (men and women) have the opportunity to be revenue producers for their university and for their conferences,” she said, “it encourages and incentivizes athletic directors and chancellors and presidents to pour in as they are an investment, not just one you have to support.”

It’s also motivation for individual teams to qualify for the tournament. UCLA has prioritized character over talent this season,  which is helping the Bruins keep perspective through any new developments in the sport.

“We want to keep pushing for more and whether we were going to get an incentive or not, I think our mentality was still the same,” junior Gabriela Jaquez said.

“I don’t think we’ve switched like, ‘Oh, we need it even more,’ but I think it is very cool that when we do get far, it’s not only helping us and our team but it’s helping the school and I just think that is really cool, too.”

UCLA left on Saturday for a game against Baylor in the Coretta Scott King Classic in Newark, New Jersey, and will have two additional road games at Rutgers and No. 8 Maryland.

Six-foot-7 center Lauren Betts now has 10 double-doubles this season after 22 points, 12 rebounds and seven steals against Penn State in a game that was moved to Long Beach State due to Southern California wildfires.

Kiki Rice is shooting .573 this season and three players — Betts, Angela Dugalić and Janiah Barker — rank in the top 25 in the Big Ten in terms of rebounding.

It could all equate to a long tournament run, which has even more benefits now. But the Bruins aren’t forgetting what they’ve journaled or the phrase Close gave to them.

“I want us to have great perspective,” Close said. “And realize that basketball is not what makes up our identity and that we have bigger things to be fighting for.”

No. 1 UCLA vs. Baylor

When: Noon Monday

Where: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey

TV/Radio: FOX/UCLA Digital Radio

No. 1 UCLA at Rutgers

When: 4 p.m. Thursday

Where: Jersey Mike’s Arena, Piscataway, New Jersey

TV/Radio: FS1/UCLA Digital Radio

No. 1 UCLA at No. 8 Maryland

When: Sunday, Jan. 26

Where: XFINITY Center, College Park, Maryland

TV/Radio: NBC/UCLA Digital Radio