Thursday was the first time that Elina Aarnisalo faced off against the UCLA Bruins after Aarnisalo was apart of the Bruins Final Four team a season ago. While she’s no longer with UCLA and is with the North Carolina Tar Heels, it’s clear that there’s still plenty of love between the two sides.
“Elina is a great player and it was fun to play against her,” Bruins guard Kiki Rice said postgame. “You can see the growth she’s made and how much better she has gotten. I think she’s really confident out there and it’s been great to see her be successful.”
Aarnisalo had a big game, scoring a team-high 13 points on 6-16 shooting from the field. The sophomore added three rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal while facing her former team.
“I can’t believe I left it in the hotel but I wrote her a note today. I just think she’s such a quality individual,” UCLA head coach Cori Close said. “She’s a great player, she’s an excellent person, she’s got a fun personality and she was an elite teammate.”
Aarnisalo joined the Bruins from Finland but with UCLA having such a crowded backcourt rotation with Charlisse Leger-Walker returning from injury, she hit the transfer portal and landed with the Tar Heels.
“It was great seeing her play with that confidence and that moxy. I really have the utmost respect,” Close said of her former teammate. “I hugged her on our line through and I said ‘You will always have a place in the Bruin hearts and we wish you nothing but the best.’ and I really mean that.”
Aarnisalo made it clear in her postgame press conference that the feelings were mutual even if she didn’t wax poetic like her former coach did.
“It was fun playing my old teammates, seeing them do good,” Aarnisalo said. “I was a little bit more nervous than for a regular game but as the game started, it’s a basketball game, I’ve done this for my whole life.”
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA women’s coach Cori Close expresses fondness for former Bruin Elina Aarnisalo
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
