Golden Nuggets: Missy Franklin Turns Pro After Illustrious Cal Career

Women's Basketball

As Cal women's basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb walked hand-in-hand with Reshanda Gray to the postgame press conference Sunday night along with Brittany Boyd and Mercedes Jefflo, it slowly began to marinate.

While one of the most memorable eras in Cal women's basketball history had reached a disappointing conclusion with a 73-70 loss to Texas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Haas Pavilion, there was absolutely nothing disappointing about the era itself.

The Bears' senior class, led by Gray and Boyd, won a program-record 103 games during the past four seasons. It helped Cal reach the first Final Four in school history. It made at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament in all four years.

Softball

In a high-scoring affair on Sunday afternoon at Farrington Stadium, No. 21 Arizona State out-slugged the No. 12 Bears, taking the rubber match 11-6 and winning the weekend series. Cal falls to 23-6 overall and 2-4 in Pac-12 play with the loss.

Baseball

Led by big offensive days from sophomore and National and Pac-12 Player of the Week Lucas Erceg and junior Mitchell Kranson, Cal completed a sweep over Washington with a 12-2 victory over the Huskies Sunday at Husky Ballpark.

Rugby

Jake Anderson kicked a 25-meter penalty with no time remaining to give the Golden Bears an epic 23-21 victory over British Columbia on Sunday at Thunderbird Stadium. California (14-1) made the most of its opportunities against UBC (9-4), battling toe to toe with a powerful T-Birds team and leading most of a match that featured every ounce of effort the 95-year-old "World Cup" series demands.

Sand Volleyball

The Cal sand volleyball team closed out its busy week in Hawaii with losses to No. 1 Hawaii and Nebraska late Sunday night.

Lacrosse

The California women's lacrosse team snapped its losing streak with a 15-11 win at George Washington, Monday afternoon in Washington D.C. The Golden Bears improved to 2-6 with the victory.

Women's Gymnastics

Cal's hunt for its second NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championship berth begins in Berkeley on Saturday, April 4, as the 20th-ranked Golden Bears are set to host Utah, Georgia, Boise St., Utah St. and BYU in NCAA Gymnastics Regional competition, the NCAA announced Monday. Meet time is set for 6 p.m. PT in Haas Pavilion.

Women's Golf

California junior Pauline Loulier hit a putt on the final hole of the day to send California to a win over Kansas in the first round of match play at the SDSU Farms Invitational, held at the par-72 Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., in the penultimate tournament of the regular season.

Missy Franklin

Olympic Gold Medalist Missy Franklin Signs With WME | IMG

WME | IMG has signed four-time Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin for worldwide marketing representation.

Franklin gained fame during her debut at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Then 17, she won gold medals in the 100-meter backstroke, 200-meter backstroke (setting the world record), 4×200-meter free relay and 4×100-meter medley relay (also a world record). She won a bronze medal in the 4×100-meter free relay.

Missy Franklin turns pro, starts plotting course to 2016 Olympics

NEW YORK — In the last 36 hours, Missy Franklin swam her final college race, signed her first professional contract and gripped a coffee cup as Jon Hamm and "Mad Men" stars floated near her at the TODAY Show.

"It still feels like a dream," Franklin, 19 and a five-time 2012 Olympic medalist, said at her TODAY appearance on Monday.

Franklin could be forgiven for still feeling groggy, though she didn't look it. She said she got one hour of sleep in North Carolina on Saturday night, after winning her third NCAA individual title in as many days and helping the California Bears to their first women's team title since 2012.