The trademark confidence of the UCLA women’s basketball
team was missing after practice on Wednesday afternoon.
In its place was an feeling of nervous anticipation.
With Selection Sunday looming and the Bruins perched squarely on
the bubble, even head coach Kathy Olivier was thinking about the
team’s NCAA tournament hopes as the players finished up one
final shooting drill.
“I’m pretty anxious right now,” Olivier said.
“It’s going to be interesting. I feel like we’re
in, but we’re not in for sure.”
UCLA (18-11, 12-6 Pac-10) had won six of its last seven games
before falling in the Pac-10 Tournament semifinals to No. 9
Stanford on Sunday, 69-64.
While a victory over the Cardinal likely would have locked up a
tournament bid, the loss has left the Bruins’ postseason
future in doubt.
“Everyone is wondering and hoping,” junior guard
Gennifer Arranaga said. “I’m going to be happy if we
get in regardless of who we play.”
Arranaga and the rest of the Bruins will be camped in front of a
big screen television on Sunday afternoon as their fate is
determined before a nationwide audience.
But with Selection Sunday still days away, Arranaga has been
following the other bubble teams around the nation to see how they
have fared in their conference tournaments.
“I watch every game I can, and I look up all the
scores,” Arranaga said. “It would be my first time
playing in the NCAA tournament so it would be a great
feeling.”
If the Bruins do make the tournament, it will largely be due to
a 12-win conference season that includes victories over Arizona and
Washington.
Olivier and her staff are hoping that UCLA’s strong
regular season finish will overshadow a mediocre preseason in which
the Bruins finished just 5-4.
“We’re putting all our marbles in the NCAA
tournament,” Olivier said. “I won’t know how to
look at our seniors if our season is in fact over. I would be
really disappointed.”