Unexpected heroes save the day this time of the year.
The NCAA tournament and madness that ensues brings out the biggest stars of the sport, but it also brings out the unsung heroes who have a timely shot here, or a clutch rebound there.
For UCLA, that hero is Timea Gardiner.
The junior froward helped the top-seeded Bruins advance to the Final Four for the first time in program history, by avenging their Sweet 16 loss to LSU last season and defeating the Tigers in this year’s Elite 8, 72-65.
Gardiner came off the bench and drilled five three-pointers to take send Kim Mulkey and an emotional Flau’jae Johnson packing.
On a team with Lauren Betts, KiKi Rice and Gabriela Jacquez, it was Gardiner who was able to have her March moment.
And of course it was her.
After all, it’s in her blood.
Gardiner’s father, Andy, played professional basketball for over a decade in the UK, his home country, as he was born in Walthamstow, London, England.
He even played for current head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, and NBA champion for the Toronto Raptors, Nick Nurse, when he was a member of the Brighton Bears from 2003-2004, where Nurse was also the coach.
The Brighton Bears may sound familiar because it is the team basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman played for in 2006 (under Nurse) before he officially called it a career.
Gardiner missed being teammates with Rodman by just two years.
And now it is his daughter who has captured the spotlight all the way to the sport’s biggest stage.
After their triumphant and historic victory, head coach Cori Close tried to put it all into perspective.
“It takes a village to build a program,” Close said after the game.
“If you just don’t want a team, but you want a true program that impacts people’s hearts first, you don’t do that alone.
“I sit here with great pride and gratitude, and more than anything else, I’m just so incredibly grateful to be a part of their process.”
Close knew the type of team she had going into the season and believed this could be their end result.
“What became obvious is that we are a new and different group that had earned a different level of confidence,” Close said.
“We expected to win, and we looked around that room and we had visualised it. But more importantly, we committed to execute it.
“It was obvious we had enough talent, but it was, how do we become a group that’s better together … our focus all year long … how do we help each other be better because we’re teammates than anyone could ever do individually on their own?”
The moment is now for the Bruins and Close knows that.
“They inspire me every day,” Close said.
“The way that they commit to give to each other selflessly, and sacrificially and intentionally grow, and choose a growth mindset, it’s not easy. I am one blessed coach.”
Close, Gardiner and the rest of the Bruins are now just two wins away from college basketball immortality.
How to watch March Madness in the UK
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March Madness is one of the most exciting times of the year for basketball fans, with a total of 68 teams battling it out to become the Division 1 college champions.
This year UConn have the chance to become only the second team ever to complete a March Madness three-peat, having emerged victorious for the last two years.
talkSPORT will have the latest news on the tournament, but for UK basketball fans the way to watch is through Sky Sports. The broadcaster will be showing EVERY March Madness game through their Sky Sports + streaming service.
Click here to sign up to a Sky Sports subscription, or read our article on the best Sky Sports deals available now.
