West Coast Bias: Dynasty Bruin in Water Polo Pool at UCLA

SAN DIEGO, Calif -- They own championship rings of silver with blue gemstones.

They own championship rings of gold with yellow gemstones.

They own their sport the way fish own water, yet they haven't made a splash beyond the swimming pool.

Meet the Quiet Dynasty -- the UCLA women who've won five consecutive NCAA titles in water polo and seven of the last eight.

Even West Coast Bias didn't know about the chlorinated blue-and-gold machine. Then I chatted with Priscilla Orozco, a UCLA junior who majors in History, minors in Geology and did more swimming than studying Thursday with the NCAA Tournament looming.

Do the Bruins feels pressure to extend their streak?

"I would have to say yes, because it's always hard to stay on top, as they say," said Orozco, a scorer and leader for a team that has no seniors.

We hear a lot about dynasties in big-time college sports, especially if the school is on or near the Evil Coast.

Everyone knows about Coach K's Dukies, who reared their preppy heads again recently after a few years away from the title game. Of late, the SECessionist conference has owned the BCS Football Cartel Tournament. And years after the University of Miami's mercenaries stopped winning football titles, ESPN still runs shows about them.

As any UCLA water polo player can tell you, however, the best college dynasty of them all reigned in Westwood.

John Wooden's Bruins won 10 NCAA basketball titles from 1964-75, and the echoes are still heard on campus. One of Orozco's favorite days at UCLA came when Wooden addressed all of the school's student-athletes two years ago.

"He went through the pyramid of success with all of us," she said. "He talked about the foundation of it, and how he created it. That was pretty special to hear him. All of the athletes at UCLA, we pretty much all know about John Wooden."

True to a Wooden principle, Bruins coach Brandon Brooks talked about detail and process, less so outcome, when asked about the upcoming NCAAs.

"It's never been about defending a title," Brooks said. "We've always kept our focus on getting better and doing what we can do to improve our game all the time."

Is the year the streak ends? Yes, if you believe in the seedings that show Stanford (No. 1) and USC (No. 2) ahead of UCLA.


This we know: unless Michigan or Marist springs a surprise, the title will remain in California, because there are no other out-of-state teams among the final eight. Women's water polo belongs to the Golden State.

"It's played all over the country, but the strongest teams have traditionally been from Southern California or California," said Brooks, who grew up in Hawaii and attended the same high school there as President Obama. "It's a little like lacrosse is. Lacrosse is very big on the East Coast. Growth takes time. Also, it's much easier to have pools out here on the West Coast."

All West Coast Bias knows about water polo is that it's wet. But I told Brooks that it's a bit surprising that one of California's powerhouses didn't thwart UCLA at least once in the last five NCAAs.

"That's a tough one," Brooks said. "Gosh, I think we're always prepared. I think we've been able to recruit talented girls, which is always important. It's been a good combination of a lot of little things -- timing, friendship, communication, hard work, maybe a little luck here or there."

UCLA's vanquished rivals would be much more disappointed if they saw the championship rings -- one gold, one silver -- that Orozco sometimes wears on campus.

This year, the Bruins were unusually vulnerable early. They were replacing five seniors and learning a new head coach. Brooks, who played for UCLA teams that won NCAA titles in 1999-2000, was an assistant on the women's team from 2007-09. He took over when Adam Krikorian became head coach of the women's national team.

At times, the water was choppy, but here the Bruins are.

Two weeks ago, they won their conference tournament, using a stubborn defense to upend both USC and Stanford.

"It was good for our confidence level," Orozco said.

Friday at San Diego State, where UCLA will face No. 6-seeded Loyola Marymount, the quest for a sixth consecutive title resumes.