The 21-year-old had always needled associate head coach Lisa Fernandez about playing two sports for the Bruins. But what she didn’t know was that word was spreading through the UCLA athletics community, and it was not long before the trainer of the women’s basketball team said that she might be making the team for the coming season. Megan Grant indeed made the team, and Cori Close is sure delighted.

As the UCLA Bruins rallied to their ninth consecutive victory against Nebraska (83-61), Cori Close shared an important update about UCLA’s senior guard, Megan Grant, who would now make limited appearances for the Bruins as she is also a member of the college program’s softball team.

“We’ve got to share a little more now, that’s why she is not here. It was fun today. We always have a good video from the previous game, and without even telling any of us, she recorded this message to the team today. So, at the end of the video from the last game this morning it was a message from her just wishing the team luck and that she was here in spirit, and she always gets fired up with me right before she runs out, and so we sort of had a moment,” Close detailed how deeply connected Megan Grant is to the basketball program.

This arrangement was brought to light in an email to Softball On SI, where the spokesperson from UCLA confirmed that this is part of the crossover season, where Grant will primarily be with softball, thanks to the dual-sport athlete role. She won’t be traveling for any more away trips during conference play.

Even though she won’t be on the road the rest of the way, the senior has been able to accomplish a childhood dream with UCLA.

“Words can’t express how grateful I am to now be able to represent both UCLA softball and UCLA women’s basketball—two elite and legendary programs. Basketball was my first love and has always brought out a childlike spirit in me, so putting on this jersey and being a small piece in this historically great program is a dream come true. I can’t thank Coach Cori enough for allowing me to live out Little Meg’s dream,” she said.

Megan Grant’s unavailability against Nebraska was already announced before the game because her services are now required to help the softball team. Grant had already made a name for herself as an excellent softball player and was a two-time All-American before joining Cori Close’s team.

Being a softball star, she was added to an already loaded roster that included college sensations Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Gianna Kneepkens, Gabriela Jaquez, among others. Now, coming to her basketball season, despite playing 12 games, Grant could only play a total of 2 minutes – the lowest time out of the entire roster on court and averaged 0.5 points, 0.3 rebounds, 0.1 assists, and 50.0 FG%.

For Cori Close, Megan’s presence on the roster served a much bigger purpose, bringing to light UCLA’s continued tradition of moulding multi-sport athletes who can do it all. Coincidentally, Cori Close, too, is achieving that status with how she is turning the squad into a complete package.

How are the Bruins playing such a consistent game?

If anybody knows how important defense is if you want to win games, it’s none other than Cori Close. And the 15-1 record and 1st place in the Big Ten are proof enough. Not just games, if you have good defensive screens and know how to fortify the paint, it can even win you championships. That is exactly what Lauren Betts is doing, using her giant frame to squash away any oncoming attack.

Betts, who has made great contributions to the Bruins over the years, is marking down attacks, foiling any chance for the opposition to succeed. Just against Nebraska, she recorded 5 steals and 4 blocks in addition to notching up points (18) and collecting rebounds (10), something that she had difficulty doing last season, but this year things are going like a breeze.

The Bruins’ next opponent will be Minnesota, who have been unpredictable this season, so you never know what you are getting into. But that isn’t Close’s concern; it’s the lack of preparation time, giving her just two days to get things back together.

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But Close already has things figured out.

“Tomorrow we will rest and recover with our higher minute getters, and then we will take some of our other ones and have. We will get some work in with them,” she said.

That’s a smart strategy employed by the coach when you don’t have many options left, but that is what this game is all about  — strategizing before the long, enduring season, and Cori Close seems to have mastered that art.