TAMPA, Fla. >> When Cori Close was starting out at UCLA 14 years ago, she called Geno Auriemma and asked if she could fly across the country to watch his UConn team practice during the NCAA Tournament because her team wasn’t playing in March Madness.

It was Close’s first head coaching job, the Bruins had finished the season with a losing record and she wanted to see what made Auriemma’s team so successful. Auriemma was happy to oblige and Close watched his team up close. She came back with her staff in the fall to try to learn more.

“He’s a master teacher. He’s done it in a style of play that I really enjoy, just personally, especially on the offensive end,” said Close, who was named AP Coach of the Year on Thursday. “Trying to think about as a young, first-year coach at that point what was that going to look like for me. It wasn’t just coach Auriemma. (Chris Dailey) and their assistant coaches, their whole program, just letting someone in in the middle of the NCAA Tournament and learn, I think it’s a huge credit to them.”

Today, the Bruins are appearing in the Final Four for the first time. And they are facing Auriemma’s Huskies. Defending national champion South Carolina plays Texas in tonight’s late game.

Over the past four decades, the Huskies have won a record 11 national championships and are nearly a perennial Final Four participant.

The Bruins have been climbing steadily over the past few seasons, earning the school’s first No. 1 ranking earlier this season.

“If I had known, I wouldn’t have let her in,” Auriemma said, laughing.

But then he was reflective of the experience.

“Basketball is basketball, you know? And it’s our job to share it if we have anything that’s worth it, and if they think that we have something that’s worth it,” Auriemma said. “You can’t worry about anything else. Our relationship — and through USA Basketball, Cori and I got to know each other a little bit.

“We both share a passion for wines. And so her energy and all that she has, that she brings is just infectious, I think. And I’m glad when coaches have success. That’s what we’re here for.”

This isn’t the first time the teams have met in the NCAA Tournament. UConn beat UCLA in the Sweet 16 in 2017 and 2019. A lot more is at stake now with the Bruins on the biggest stage for the first time.

UConn is a veteran of the Final Four, reaching the national semifinals for the 16th time in the past 17 seasons.

“There’s four teams left out of hundreds in the NCAA, so we’re just so grateful,” Huskies star Paige Bueckers said. “But we know like the journey isn’t done. We want our story to continue as long as possible, and we have this to finish, so we want to enjoy this, soak it up, be proud of each other.”

In the late game, South Carolina is in its seventh Final Four under head coach Dawn Staley. She is seeking her fourth title in the span of 11 seasons and her first repeat.

The teams, both No. 1 seeds, know each other well. The national semifinal will be their fourth time playing this season. South Carolina won two of three, including last month in the Southeastern Conference Tournament final.

Staley is in the Final Four for the fifth straight season as South Carolina tries to become the first repeat champ since UConn won four straight from 2013-2016.

She’s also had plenty of success against Texas coach Vic Schaefer. When he coached at Mississippi State, his Bulldogs went 0-3 against South Carolina during the 2016-17 season, including losing to an A’ja Wilson-led Gamecocks team in the national championship game.

None of that matters to Staley.

“We’re not going to rely on our success against them to say, ‘Hey, we beat them,’” she said. “I’m looking at the loss from this year and how we can prevent that.”

The team with the rebounding edge has won each of the previous three meetings. South Carolina outrebounded Texas 42-40 on Jan. 12 and won in a blowout. Texas won on the boards in the rematch, with a 42-35 advantage, and beat South Carolina by four points. When the Gamecocks blew out the Longhorns in the SEC Tournament, South Carolina pulled down 37 rebounds to Texas’ 35.

The more impressive stat from that game was how the Gamecocks dominated in the post, scoring 40 points in the paint and limiting the Longhorns — who take pride in overwhelming opponents near the basket — to 18 points in the paint.

Chloe Kitts, South Carolina’s 6-foot-2 forward, said her team is clearly at a size disadvantage against Texas, which has 6-6 center Kyla Oldacre and 6-4 forward Taylor Jones. Rebounding could come down to the Gamecocks’ guards.

“It’s kind of hard to rebound down there with those big girls, so our guard rebounding is gonna be super important for us,” Kitts said. “And then, obviously, boxing out is just super important. So we just need to really key in on that.”

Texas has one of the best defenses in the country, allowing around 55 points per game.

Texas bottled up one of the nation’s highest-scoring teams, TCU, in their Elite Eight matchup. The Longhorns held the Horned Frogs to 47 points on Monday, well below TCU’s season average of 76.7.

“When we’re playing our best defense and keeping the score pretty low, I think we have a better chance,” senior guard Rori Harmon said.

Harmon expects tonight’s game to be low-scoring, with both teams featuring tough defenses.

“The name of the game is just who is going to win it more on the biggest stage that we’re at right now,” Harmon said, “and who is going to be tougher and bring the most energy.”