UCLA's Stellar Run Shines Through in Heartbreaking Final Four Defeat

The No.1 UCLA Bruins (34-3) saw their season come to a disappointing end on Friday night in Tampa, Fla. as they fell to the No. 2 UConn Huskies (36-3) in the Final Four. Despite a crushing end to the year, the season that this team put together is one for the ages.

The ultimate goal was to raise a national championship banner, but there are so many things that this group can hold their heads high for. 34 wins is the most in program history, setting a record earlier in the year by winning their first 23 games to start the season.

During that 23-game win streak, the Bruins knocked off the universal No. 1 team in the country, South Carolina, snapping the Gamecocks' 49-game win streak that stretched multiple seasons. From that point, there was a strong feeling that this UCLA team was different from previous years.

This year, the Bruins made it to their inaugural Final Four, an accomplishment they had not achieved since joining the NCAA in 1984. Avenging their loss in the Sweet 16 round from the previous year, the Bruins defeated the LSU Tigers, who were responsible for eliminating them last season.

In their first season in the Big Ten, the Bruins dominated and were regarded as the No. 1 ranked team in the country for a majority of the year. The only two regular season losses for UCLA came against their bitter, in-state rival, USC.

The Trojans secured the Big Ten regular-season championship, yet vengeance loomed large for this squad. The Bruins and USC were set to face each other for a third time. conference tournament championship with UCLA earning the win. Not bad for their first year in the Big Ten.

Individually, this team produced the Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year in Cori Close's 15th season UCLA was also led by their juniors. center Lauren Betts , he was a finalist for Player of the Year and won the National Defensive Player of the Year award, making him one of the greatest UCLA players in history.

The ultimate outcome may not align with what this squad envisioned; however, their achievements throughout the campaign can’t be overlooked. UCLA has emerged as a leader in women’s collegiate basketball and will be celebrated as a dominant force for decades ahead. This year truly went down in history.

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The article was initially posted on www.si.com/college/ucla as In Spite of Devastating Defeat in the Final Four, This Bruins Squad Was Extraordinary .