UCLA Women's Basketball News: Bruins Legend Helping Inspire March Madness Run

The 27-6 UCLA Bruins have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen thanks to a balanced attack. The Blue and Gold are poised to face off against the LSU Lady Tigers, the reigning NCAA champs. Per Haley Sawyer of The Los Angeles Daily News, the team has a surprising coach to thank, in part, for its success. One who is not actually part of Cori Close's staff.

Seven-time national champion former UCLA gymnastics coach Valorie Kondos Field has emerged as one of the top beloved ex-Bruins helping guide the women's basketball program on their journey to the Sweet Sixteen.

“She knows how to bring the best out of every single person that she teaches or every single person that she’s around,” four-time All-Pac-12 guard Charisma Osborne said.

Kondos Field, who continues to teach at the school, retired from coaching in 2019. Osborne and fellow guard Camryn Brown attended Kondos Field's Philosophy of Coaching and Leadership class. Osborne, a huge fan of the class, pushed for Kondos Field to speak with the team.

“To motivate our team and get us to remember how to play in confidence and how to play in freedom,” Brown said of her thinking, “because I think she did that so well when she was a coach here. She’s just done that so well in life and motivating so many other people.”