Alexander: No. 1 UCLA women find the gym as a refuge

To the casual observer, or at least one paying only partial attention, UCLA’s women’s basketball team is a juggernaut. The men might currently be driving Mick Cronin crazy with their play, but Cori Close’s women’s team has vanquished all comers, is ranked No.1 in the nation and seems to be upholding the late John Wooden’s standards in a way the men haven’t been.

Which hasn’t stopped Close from laying down the law occasionally when warranted. As she put it the other day, when the little things are done sloppily or ineffectively...