One year after the Bruins missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2015, the senior guard has started her revenge tour averaging 20.1 points and 7.1 rebounds in leading No. 20 UCLA to its best start in three years.
The No. 20 Bruins will put their lofty goals to the test against defending national champion and No. 1-ranked South Carolina on Tuesday at 4 p.m. PST in Columbia, S.C. The Gamecocks, who have wins against No. 14 Maryland and No. 2 Stanford this season, are 44-1 at home since the 2019-20 season. Relieved of her point-guard duties, Osborne is reaching new heights by channeling the freedom she felt as an 18-year-old rookie. Assistant coach Tasha Brown joked with Osborne that she needs to get back to being “Freshman ’Ris.”
What Osborne remembers most is the freedom she felt on offense, reasoning that any scoring would come naturally after she earned playing time through defense. Now as a senior, Osborne is committed to finding her defensive groove again. Close has demanded it. Osborne played through the pain with hopes of carrying the team to the NCAA tournament. Instead, the Bruins were one of the first four out of the 68-team field.“I never want to be back in that place or want UCLA to ever be back in that place,” Osborne said. “It’s just helped me hold the standard, hold myself accountable and hold my teammates accountable to the things that we say that we want.”