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Defector

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Lauren Betts #51 hugs Head coach Cori Close of the UCLA Bruins during the second half of the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 5, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona.

College Basketball

Cori Close And UCLA Won At Their Own Speed

Giri Nathan

UCLA men's basketball coach Mick Cronin in a postgame scrum after UCLA's blowout loss to Michigan State on Feb. 17

Media Meltdowns

Mick Cronin Is Stuck In Baby Mode

<div>David Covucci is the editor-in-chief of <a href="https://foiaball.beehiiv.com/p/foiaball-football-for-the-people">FOIAball</a>, a new publication utilizing public records to report on college football.</div>


Dave Covucci

UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) runs onto the field with teammates before the game against Nebraska at the Rose Bowl on November 8, 2025 in Pasadena, California.

Death To The NCAA

How UCLA Used A Friendly Charity To Get Tax-Free NIL Money

Israel Daramola

College Football

UCLA Reminds Us Why We Love College Football

<p>Maya Goldberg-Safir writes about women’s basketball and splits her time between Chicago and Oakland, where she was born and raised. She is the creator of <a href="https://wnbaroughnotes.substack.com/">Rough Notes</a>, a newsletter chronicling women’s basketball from the court, the road, and the heart.</p>


Maya Goldberg-Safir

History

How The Japanese-American Basketball Leagues Built Natalie Nakase

Sarah Strong #21 and Paige Bueckers #5 of the UConn Huskies react on the bench against the UCLA Bruins during the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game at Amalie Arena on April 4, 2025 in Tampa, Florida.

Sarah Strong Doesn’t Act Her Age

Ray Ratto

UCLA Bruins gathers against the LSU Lady Tigers during the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Spokane Arena on March 30, 2025 in Spokane, Washington.

UCLA Finally Finds Its Place

JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans is defended by Paige Bueckers #5 of the Connecticut Huskies during the second half of an NCAA women's basketball game at the XL Center on December 21, 2024 in Hartford, Connecticut.

The Case For And Against Every Contender In The Women’s Tournament

JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans celebrates a 71-60 win against the UCLA Bruins in the second half at Galen Center on February 13, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

JuJu Watkins Is The Whole Story

UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) huddles up with her team during a women's basketball game against the Indiana Hoosiers on January 4, 2025, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.

The Growing Pains Are Over For UCLA

<div class="author-header-content">
<p>Charles P. Pierce is a writer at <em>Esquire</em> and the author of four books, most recently <em>Idiot America</em>, and has been a working journalist since 1976. He lives near Boston with his wife but no longer his three children.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
</div>
<div class="author-header-shares"></div>


Charles P. Pierce

Portland Trail Blazers' Bill Walton, who received many accolades for his performance on the court, is depicted here. Walton would later go on to pursue a career off the court as a sports broadcaster and an actor in feature films.

Bill Walton Let His Joy Flourish

Hailey Van Lith #11 and Angel Reese #10 of the LSU Lady Tigers speak against the Tennessee Lady Vols in the second quarter at Thompson-Boling Arena on February 25, 2024 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Everyone’s Going To Albany To Conquer Their Demons

BOULDER, COLORADO - FEBRUARY 11: Talia von Oelhoffen #22 of the Oregon State Beavers looks to pass around Jaylyn Sherrod #00 of the Colorado Buffaloes in the first half at the CU Events Center on February 11, 2024 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Tyler Schank/Getty Images)

Be A Beaver Believer

Tom Ley

Head coach Deion Sanders and Shedeur Sanders #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes talk before taking on the Stanford Cardinal at Folsom Field on October 13, 2023 in Boulder, Colorado.

College Football No Longer Belongs To Deion Sanders

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 13: Kiki Rice #1 of the UCLA Bruins looks to pass during the first half of a game against the Troy Trojans at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on November 13, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.

ucla bruins