The Conference competitions are on, with teams warming up for the national level championships and taking shots at the conference tournament titles. From the Big 10 conference, UCLA is the heavy favorite for both titles, and coach Cori Close must see them through to the championships.
With multiple players up for the WNBA draft, the UCLA program can even set a WNBA Draft record for the highest number of draftees in a single class. While the side could well be the best team UCLA ever had, was it the best Close ever coached? Here is what she has to say about it.
Cori Close Chooses the Best Team She Coached
Spending over three decades in coaching, the California-born coach saw multiple players reach high levels and top accolades in her career. Interestingly, the coach spent nearly half of his career at UCLA as head coach and put them as contenders on several occasions, and achieved the top rank too.
Speaking about the best team she coached, Close said, “It’s the most complete team, it’s the most complete puzzle I have ever had. We are projecting to have six, maybe five, but all six of our seniors drafted. That’s gonna be a record. That never happened before.”
UCLA could potentially have a record SIX seniors drafted to the WNBA this year 🤯
— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) March 6, 2026
Presented by @turbotax pic.twitter.com/TqN7QwZjo8
“The thing I am most proud of is that they have been willing to give up their own statistics for the sake of going to win it, win things and to win conference and to hopefully win a championship, all those things,” she added.
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The selfless play certainly made the Bruins one of the most dangerous sides in the season as they maximized each other’s performance and impact on the floor, making the team look better on the gameday.
While the coach is not alone in praising the 2025-26 UCLA side, ESPN on-court reporter Holly Rowe also sees the UCLA as a potential championship contender. While the race to the national championship is yet to start, the team is already cruising towards its conference tournament title.
Cori Close Wins Big Ten Coach Of The Year
The 2025-26 season is for the UCLA Bruins, and their roster performances completely align with the same. They went 18-0 in the conference, winning the top spot and also handing the coach her first ‘Big 10 Coach of the Year’ accolade.
Coach Cori Close of @UCLAWBB is your 2026 Big Ten Coach of the Year! 🏀🫡 pic.twitter.com/JvK4tmWCnd
— Big Ten Women's Basketball (@B1Gwbball) March 3, 2026
With the run in the final four, Close won the Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year, but it was the USC Trojans’ Lindsay Gottlieb who won the Big Ten Coach of the Year. This time, it’s Close who will bring the award back to Los Angeles.