There weren’t many pleasantries exchanged between UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close and one of her former players in the postgame handshake line Sunday.
After UCLA’s 99-77 win over Tennessee at Pauley Pavilion, Janiah Barker appeared to quickly pull her hand away from a brief handshake after Close reached in for a hug. Barker shook her head, while Close shrugged and smiled before continuing through the line. Barker spent her junior season at UCLA after transferring from Texas A&M.
But Close made it clear after the game that she did not harbor any negative feelings towards Barker.
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“Outside of this game, I want to wish Janiah Barker nothing but the best. I think she is a spectacular player, she gave us a lot on the court, off the court,” Close said. “And I just want to make sure that I say I wish her nothing but the best the rest of the way through.”
The situation appeared to end amicably, as Barker later posted on her social media, “We shook hands. I wish nothing but the best for Coach (Cori).”
The 6-foot-4 forward won Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year for a Bruins team that made its first Final Four in program history. Barker transferred to Tennessee this offseason in hopes of a bigger role. She has excelled in Knoxville as a starter, averaging 16.6 points per game.
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The senior scored a season-high 25 points in her return to Pauley Pavilion on Sunday. Her efforts weren’t enough, as the No. 3 Bruins won their second in a row since a loss to No. 4 Texas. She was clearly emotional after the game, as UCLA gave Barker her Final Four ring and memorabilia before the contest. In a card to Barker, Close said, she wrote, “One of the things I’m always going to appreciate is how hard you’ve always worked on your game.”
“I wish that we had a little more focus going into the game,” Barker said after the game. “It’s been definitely emotional, emotional game, super fun to be back here.”
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
UCLA Bruins, Tennessee Lady Volunteers, Women’s College Basketball
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