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UCLA Wire
There's a different mindset for Lauren Betts and UCLA this year
- Story byUCLA Wire
- There's a different mindset for Lauren Betts and UCLA this year
Sometimes the biggest step you can take is letting go. That was a reality that the UCLA Bruins faced last year after their season-ending blowout loss to UConn in the Final Four. After the game, Cori Close realized that to take the next step, UCLA would have to adjust.
The initial adjustment was getting to work in the transfer portal, adding the ideal transfer in Gianna Kneepkens to transform the Bruins ability from three. The next step was an adjustment that had to come within.
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Lauren Betts has seen her statistics drop across the board in her senior season. It's not because Betts has suddenly gotten worse, it's because she's become the player that UCLA needs her to be to become a true national title contender.
"I remember this conversation I had with Lauren Betts last Spring. I said 'Look, if you want to get what you want, you need to have your usage rate go down and your efficiency go up and we need more people to feel like they're go-to players.'" Close said on the Flagrant and Funny show last week .
UCLA was top heavy last year. Yes, they were still a great team, but they didn't have the depth of the other elite programs, which was highlighted by UConn in the Final Four. With Kneepkens and a healthy Charlisse Leger-Walker in the fold, improvements from Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez, UCLA has a lot of different ways to get a win.
Even though Betts is still UCLA's big star, there's less on her plate. There's still times where the Bruins will need Betts to take over, and she's proven this year that she's still plenty capable of doing just that.
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"In order to create something different, you are going to have to let go of the reins," Close said of Betts. "You're going to have to empower Kiki to know that she can go and get hers, Gabriela can go and get hers, Gianna can go get hers."
The transition had led to a 31-1 season for UCLA , including a second-straight Big Ten tournament win. Now it's time for Betts and the Bruins to test the theory in the NCAA tournament.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Cori Close convinced Lauren Betts and UCLA to play different this year
