While the month of February saw the UCLA women’s
basketball team climb back into NCAA contention predominantly on
the shoulders of freshman Noelle Quinn and sophomores Nikki Blue
and Lisa Willis, the month of March will undoubtedly reveal at what
cost.
The answer may have emerged in the waning moments of
UCLA’s thrilling victory over USC Sunday, when a hunched over
Quinn lumbered slowly up and down the court, looking fatigued.
She was admittedly exhausted.
“My body is wearing down right now,” Quinn said.
“You can have all the talent you want, but if you’re
willing to sacrifice how your body feels for the team, then you can
win.”
Though Sunday’s game was extremely hard-fought and
physical, the games from here on out do not promise to be any
easier.
With the Pac-10 Tournament in San Jose slated to begin this
weekend, there’s no rest for the weary, with UCLA likely
needing to win two games to earn an NCAA bid.
Because of the conference tournament format, the Bruins are now
faced with the prospect of playing three games in three days, and
though they seem willing to meet the challenge head on, they can
only hope their bodies feel the same.
“Physically, I’m a little tired,” Willis said.
“I am getting pretty beat up. But it’s the price you
have to pay. As much as it’s a physical thing, it’s a
mental thing. We can overcome this.”
With starting forward Whitney Jones (31.8 minutes per game) and
the acclaimed “Triple Threat” of Quinn (35.1 minutes),
Blue (32.3 minutes) and Willis (32.4 minutes), UCLA boasts four
players who average more than 30 minutes per conference contest,
most of any team in the Pac-10.
Sunday Quinn, Blue and Willis each played more than 38 minutes,
never leaving the court in crunch time.
“We’ve been leaning on them a lot,” UCLA coach
Kathy Olivier said.
In contrast, three Pac-10 teams, including the Bruins’
first-round opponent in the conference tournament, Arizona State,
do not have a single player averaging more than 30 minutes a
game.
Heading into San Jose, it’s no secret that the teams that
are deep and continually utilize their benches will be at a
distinct advantage.
UCLA is not one of those teams. USC, on the other hand, might
be.
“We’re one of the few teams with depth that can take
(the Pac-10 Tournament),” said USC coach Chris Gobrecht,
whose team also doesn’t have a player averaging over 30
minutes a game.
“It might be an advantage for (those teams), but our
momentum will carry us, and we have to think like a winner,”
Olivier said. “You can’t let fatigue get in the way of
your team’s success. The players are going to have the
mentality of, “˜We’re going to win three games and get
this done.'”
From the days leading up to the beginning of this season to now,
Olivier has stayed true to her mantra of sticking with the lineup
that gives UCLA the best chance to win.
Aside from quality stints off the bench from senior guard
Gennifer Arranaga and freshman Amanda Livingston, that lineup is
primarily the starting five, all of whom are now used to playing
for long stretches at a time.
And Olivier doesn’t envision a sudden change in philosophy
with the season almost over.
“The stars are playing well right now,” Olivier
said. “We’re on a roll, and we don’t want to
change things up. The people that are playing right now have proved
to be productive.
“I don’t think fatigue will be an issue.”
The finish line is in sight, and the Bruins can only hope their
minds and their legs will continue to carry them through San
Jose.