LOS ANGELES — There was one player without a number on her practice jersey who was running plays with the UCLA women’s basketball team at a pre-Sweet 16 practice on Wednesday afternoon.
Her strong arms were spread wide and her feet, clad in neon pink shoes, were planted as she came face-to-face with a defender. She dashed toward the basket when the ball was passed, ready for a rebound.
Michaela Onyenwere is not only a Chicago Sky forward and 2021 WNBA Rookie of the Year, she’s also an assistant coach for the Bruins (33-1). She provides a crucial link between top-seeded UCLA’s past experience and future success, and that path continues with Friday’s Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament game against fourth-seeded Minnesota (24-8).
“She’s a fantastic player, really good pro,” UCLA guard Kiki Rice said. “She’s super physical. She communicates every time. And just from watching her, whether you’re in a group or playing against her, she sets a great example for us.”
Head coach Cori Close called on Onyenwere to jump into the practice mix as part of an effort to limit the seniors’ repetitions and keep their legs fresh ahead of the trip to Sacramento for the next round of the NCAA Tournament.
She rotated among multiple lineups, and didn’t balk or hold back when the group was underclassman-heavy.
“Michaela has just been spectacular not only just from a physical perspective, but also a role-modeling perspective,” Close said. “I keep telling them – just watch her and try to mimic her every single rep. I think that especially the freshmen are going to look back and go, ‘Oh wow, I mean, that really impacted me.’”
Rice scored 25 points when UCLA last played Minnesota on Jan. 14 – a 76-58 Bruins victory in Minneapolis – and fellow seniors Lauren Betts and Gabriela Jaquez also reached double-digits in scoring. The senior class has been the driving force of this Bruins team, but the underclassmen are taking notes and hold promise for the future.
Freshman Sienna Betts is averaging 6.6 points and ranks fifth on the team with 4.2 rebounds per game while averaging 15.4 minutes per game. Lena Bilić, another freshman, is averaging 12.8 minutes per game and redshirt sophomore Amanda Muse is increasing her experience with 9.8 minutes.
Game repetitions are the building blocks of experience, and the ones received during an NCAA Tournament run hold special weight.
“I remember talking to Lena and her mom when we were recruiting her,” Close said, “and her mom played in the Olympics for Yugoslavia. She said, ‘There’s no substitute for the competitive knowledge that Lena will gain from being a part of this team.’ And I think that has definitely played out for Sienna, for Chrissy (Karamouzi), for Lena. I think that’s a tremendous power.”
UCLA is playing in its fourth straight Sweet 16, and upperclassmen like Rice, Jaquez and Angela Dugalić have been part of all of those runs. Lauren Betts, who transferred to UCLA ahead of her sophomore year, has been with the Bruins for three.
Those veteran Bruins – and Onyenwere – back up the sentiment that experience pays off.
“Having experience brings us confidence,” Jaquez said. “You know what to expect, you know what the energy’s like. Once it hits March Madness, there’s an energy shift.”
NCAA TOURNAMENT
Who: No. 1 seed UCLA (33-1) vs. No. 4 seed Minnesota (24-8)
When: Friday, 4:30 p.m.
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento
TV/Radio: ESPN/Westwood One
