Olivier steps down as UCLA women’s coach

After a season that included one of the biggest upsets in school history and a few other close calls, Kathy Olivier stepped down Tuesday as UCLA women’s basketball coach.

“It’s about winning championships here,” said Petrina Long, an associate athletic director who met with Olivier on Monday. “On a frequent basis.”

Olivier was 232-208 in 15 seasons at the school. She confirmed in a statement that she has been “offered the opportunity” to move into athletic administration at the school.

“I think the timing is right,” she said. “The new coach will be able to build with almost the entire team returning.”

UCLA had six freshmen play significant roles this season. Lindsay Pluimer was the team’s only senior.

Olivier’s daughter, Alexis, was a seldom-used sophomore guard.

The Bruins finished 16-15 overall and tied for fourth in Pacific 10 Conference play. They knocked off USC in a conference tournament opener Saturday night in San Jose but were blown out by Stanford, 78-45, in a semifinal Sunday.

Olivier’s best season was 1998-99, when the Bruins finished 26-8 and advanced to the Elite Eight. They’ve had only one 20-win season since, in 2005-06 when they finished 21-8 and third in the Pac-10.

UCLA played several highly ranked opponents this season and fared decently. The Bruins led then-No. 3 Maryland by 16 points in the second half of a November game but could not hold on. Later that month, they stayed within striking distance of top-ranked Tennessee before losing by 12 points.

One of the most memorable games in Olivier’s tenure came Jan. 4 against visiting Stanford, then ranked No. 2 in the nation. The Bruins played well from start to finish and came away with a 69-56 victory over the Cardinal, the highest-ranked opponent the Bruins ever defeated.

Still, it wasn’t enough to convince Long that Olivier was the right person to carry on. “She also realized it was time to turn the basketball program over to new leadership,” Long said.

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dan.arritt@latimes.com