UCLA Women's Basketball: Watch Cori Close's Touching Speech to Bruins After LSU Loss

The Bruins didn't expect to fall in the Sweet Sixteen.

Mar 30, 2024; Albany, NY, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close looks on from the sidelines. / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

The UCLA Bruins finished far short of their anticipated goals in the 2023-24 NCAA Tournament. The Blue and Gold finished with a 27-7 record and a 78-69 Sweet Sixteen exit against the then-reigning champion Louisiana State University Tigers.

As captured in the brand-new ESPN/ABC documentary series "Ful Court Press" (a clip has been shared on ESPN's official X account), head coach Cori Close addressed the club in the immediate aftermath of that defeat with a touching missive.

"At no point did I ever think we wouldn’t be in the Final Four and that we wouldn’t be playing for a national championship. Then all of a sudden that became the reality." —@kiki_rice0

Stream Full Court Press on @ESPNPlus 🍿 pic.twitter.com/IEZRxl9MN3

— ESPN (@espn) May 12, 2024

"The outcome really hurts. It's not what we wanted and at the same time, [we're] not letting it define the entire year," Close said. "I'm so proud of who you are. I love you guys. I just love you."

Many of the Blue and Gold's heavy hitters from last year will be back, including All-Pac-12 center Lauren Betts and Rice, both rising junior. The club will also be adding two of the most well-regarded NCAA transfer portal additions on the market, in ex-Washington State Cougars guard Charlisse Leger-Walker and former Oregon State forward Timea Gardiner.

UCLA seems like it has a good chance of improving upon its already-stellar runs in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, even with star guard Charisma Osborne moving on to the Phoenix Mercury via the 2024 WNBA Draft.

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