Head Coach Cori Close Challenges UCLA After Win

Despite securing its 14th consecutive win, UCLA coach Cori Close challenged her team’s toughness and execution, emphasizing the need for growth if it is to become true championship contenders.

Dec 29, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close during the first quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. The Bruins won 91-54 for Close’s 300 career win. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

UCLA coach Cori Close was candid and reflective in the postgame press conference after the No. 1-ranked Bruins secured their 14th consecutive victory of the season, defeating Michigan 86-70 at Pauley Pavilion. Despite the win, Close’s tone underscored her dissatisfaction with the team’s overall performance, emphasizing areas where they fell short against a resilient Michigan squad coached by Kim Barnes Arico.

“I’ve known their coach Kim since I was at Florida State, and she was at St. John’s, and one thing that has stayed constant her entire career is how tough they are,” Close said. “Whether she was coaching in New York or she is coaching in Michigan, her kids defend. They play with great toughness, and I thought they out-toughed us tonight.”

While UCLA’s talent ultimately carried it to victory, Close was clear about the real battle it lost. 

“We may have more talent pieces, and may have won the game, but they won the toughness and togetherness battle,” she stated. “We didn’t win enough teamwork plays, transition defense, 50-50s, rebounding, executing the scouting report, bench energy — it wasn’t one of our better games.”

Close didn’t shy away from challenging her team’s mindset moving forward. 

“We have an immense amount of talent, but we have to decide if we want to win individual games, or if we want to become a championship team. And that’s a decision we have to make right away.”

Key performances by juniors Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice were crucial in securing the win for UCLA. Betts dominated in the paint, contributing 13 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four blocks to notch her eighth double-double of the season. Her efforts also saw her surpass the milestone of 500 career rebounds. Rice showcased her versatility with 16 points and 10 assists, achieving her 300th career assist as a Bruin and further solidifying her role as a playmaker.

Several other Bruins also stepped up to ensure the victory. Londynn Jones added 13 points, highlighted by her precision from deep, hitting four of her six attempts from three-point range, with a particularly impactful stretch in the fourth quarter. Angela Dugalić’s balanced performance included 12 points, six rebounds and three assists, while Gabriela Jaquez’s stat line featured 12 points, three assists, a steal and a block.

One area of progress Close did celebrate was ball security. 

“I thought we did a much better job this game with our turnovers than we did the previous game. In that way, I have to celebrate that piece of growth,” she said. “Of course, we were shooting such a high percentage because we were assisting well. I just told the team, ‘Look, what did this game teach you and what did it reveal about you? And do you like what it said?’”

However, Close returned to her overarching message about toughness and defense. 

“Defense and toughness, that’s the bottom line," she said. "Offense is fine; they’re able to set their zone in the second half when we didn’t play good enough defense. We went on runs and got scores in transition when we played good defense. We always say in our programs, ‘success leaves clues,’ so if you want to continue to grow and achieve success, pay attention to the clues. And we weren’t good enough.”

Looking ahead, Close expressed both concern and excitement about their next challenge — Indiana this Saturday. 

 “I am really excited that we have such a tough opponent in a very hostile environment this very next game," she said. "I think it’s going to force us to be like, ‘You want to keep winning? You better buck up.’ Because if you go into Bloomington with that level of urgency and concentration, we’re going to get beat.”

Close concluded with a challenge to her players to rise to the occasion and embrace the rigors of their new conference. 

“We’re the new kids on the block, we’ve got the biggest target on our back, and we only get one shot," she said. "We need to come in not just doing the scout and checking the box but dominating the scout. As you can tell, I’m fired up about this because I do not want this team to settle because of a lack of character. This conference is going to reveal, and I just hope our players do the work so that they like what it shows.”

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