LOS ANGELES — Cori Close is not interested in comfort. Not for herself, and certainly not for a UCLA women’s basketball program with championship aspirations. Over the past week, the Bruins’ head coach has made that clear as she continues to challenge her roster — even as UCLA sits atop the nation offensively.
Close has been deliberate in pushing her team toward what she believes is the standard that ultimately wins championships: defense, rebounding, and sustained competitive growth. And that mindset has been especially evident in how she’s working with transfer guard Gianna Kneepkens.
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Close offered a blunt but revealing message when discussing Kneepkens’ transition to Westwood.
“If she wanted to score, she could have stayed at Utah.”
The comment wasn’t criticism — it was context. Kneepkens transferred to UCLA not to pad stats, but to be stretched by Close’s demanding coaching style. For Close, the move represents a commitment to becoming a more complete player.
Cori Close has been emphasizing defense and rebounding with Kneepkens, and with the entire roster, because she understands that elite offense alone does not win championships.
“I’m really proud of Gianna Kneepkens,” Close said. “I’ve been challenging her rebounding and defense and I can see that she’s focused on that.”
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“That’s got to be their biggest competition we have is our commitment to the defensive end. But there’s no doubt; I’m not sure if you’re going to find another roster in the country with as many diverse weapons as we have on the offensive end. I just don’t want it to mull us into slowing our improvement down in the area that we need the most.”
That internal competition — not the scoreboard — is what Close believes separates good teams from championship programs. She continues to challenge every player on the roster, including five-star freshman Sienna Betts.
After each game Betts has played this season, Close’s message has remained consistent: patience.
“I just want Sienna to be proud and patient with herself,” Close said. “Her accolades speak for themselves.”
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For Betts, the challenge hasn’t just been basketball — it’s been learning to trust the process after facing adversity for the first time in her career.
“I’m really am an impatient person in every aspect so being injured for the first time this long in my life it was really hard to be ok with it,” Betts said. “Coach Cori and the whole support staff, everyone in the whole program and the girls as well, they are really good at helping me get through it.”
That culture of support and accountability is something Close has built intentionally, and it extends to players who may not yet be household names. One of those players is Lena Bilic, who Close believes will play a major role in UCLA’s future as the program prepares for roster turnover after this season.
“Lena is going to be a major building block for us,” Close said. “She’s fearless. I love the fact that she’s confident every time, whether she’s made her last three, or missed her last three.”
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Close didn’t hide her excitement about Bilic’s trajectory.
“I’m really excited about where she’s going.”
At the heart of Close’s coaching philosophy is the idea that confidence must be earned through discipline, consistency, and a commitment to growth — especially when winning makes it tempting to relax standards.
“They have to earn the confidence and peace that they want and I have been really proud,” Close said. “I have been really critical of that. It’s against human nature that when the score is not given you the feedback, when you know you can cut some corners and still win the game to stay process oriented and surrender the outcome and be committed to growth and consistency.”
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Even UCLA’s star center Lauren Betts is part of that evolution. Betts has recently stepped out beyond the arc, drawing attention for her perimeter shooting. But Close was quick to shut down any notion that it’s for show.
“She’s not doing it to show off,” Close said. “It’s because she’s been practicing for months.”
That detail speaks volumes about where UCLA is as a program. Every adjustment, every challenge, every experiment is rooted in preparation and purpose.
Cori Close isn’t chasing short-term validation. She’s building habits, depth, and accountability — even when the Bruins are winning. And as UCLA continues its pursuit of a national championship, Close’s relentless push toward the “best version” of her team may be the very thing that sets them apart.
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The UCLA Lady Bruins opened conference play with a statement victory over Ohio State, as two ranked Big Ten teams went head-to-head. Adding to the significance of the win, Kiki Rice—widely regarded as a lock for the 2026 WNBA Draft—reached a major milestone by surpassing 1,500 career points in her collegiate career.
