UCLA’s Champion Coach: Jaquez a Top-10 Pick!

UCLA’s Champion Coach Credits Teamwork, Predicts Draft Success

The roar of the crowd, the confetti falling, and the sweet taste of victory – that’s what UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close is celebrating. After leading her team to a national championship, Close joined The Rich Eisen Show to talk about the incredible journey, the team’s special bond, and the bright future of her star players.

Finding a New Gear for the Final Four

Rich Eisen, whose alma mater’s men’s team just won the championship, was eager to hear about UCLA’s amazing run. Close explained that the team truly found their stride when they faced a tough challenge in the Elite Eight game against Duke. “We got to fight for this. We got to claw. We got to decide who we’re going to be and we got to go make this thing happen,” she recalled telling her team.

From halftime of that game through the Final Four, Close saw a different team. She gathered everyone, from players to managers, and talked about their superpower: connectivity and being mission-minded. “Three strands woven together just cannot easily be broken,” she told them. Seeing the focus in their eyes, she knew they were destined to win. “We’re gonna win this thing,” she confidently told her director of basketball operations.

Overcoming Texas and Embracing the Pressure

A key moment was avenging their only loss of the season against Texas in the Final Four. Close described it as a huge mental breakthrough. “We have to overcome a hard thing. And we had to overcome an opponent that was probably playing the best basketball going into the Final Four was Texas,” she said.

Despite turning the ball over 23 times, Close was incredibly proud of her team’s toughness. “It was a rugby match, and I thought that we just stayed the course,” she noted. What impressed her most was her team’s calm approach. “They just did such a good job of going, ‘Hey, this is what it takes. This is what the game is telling us is required.'” After the win, the locker room wasn’t filled with wild celebration, but with a business-like focus: “Job’s not done. What are we even talking about? Let’s go. We came here very strictly on a business trip. We know what the mission is.”

Joy and Lightness Fueling Success

Eisen asked about the team’s ability to be both loose and present, even dancing during workouts. Close explained it comes from genuine relationships and understanding what each player needs. “Some of their warrior dials need to be turned up, and some of our players need to turn down and part of that is just dance it out, have fun. This has got to have joy. This has got to have a lightness because they’re already putting so much pressure on themselves,” she explained.

Reflecting on last year’s semi-final loss, Close realized she needed to bring more joy and lightness, not just intensity. “The intensity was there, and so I just think that was fun.” She even consulted with other coaches, like Muffet McGraw, on how to handle the unique pressure of being in the championship game. The team’s ability to balance fun with business paid off.

Celebrating Lauren Betts and Mental Health

Close spoke emotionally about her players, particularly Lauren Betts, the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. She highlighted how proud she is of her staff for showing up for players on their hardest days. “That is probably my… every single person in our program has chosen to sacrificially adopt the mission of our program, which really has more to do with who they’re becoming as people than it does about who they’re becoming as basketball players.”

She shared a touching story about Betts, who had struggled with depression after transferring from Stanford. Close recalled how the entire program rallied around Betts during her toughest moments. She also shared a personal connection, remembering how Betts showed immense empathy when Close’s father passed away during a USA Basketball U19 World Cup trip. Seeing Betts, Izzy Anzlst, and Cam Brown, who also experienced mental health struggles, support each other after the championship game, with their foreheads touching and arms clenched tight, was a moment that meant more than the championship itself.

Gabriela Jaquez: A Warrior Spirit and Future Star

The conversation then turned to Gabriela Jaquez, whose brother also played for UCLA. Close revealed that Jaquez had only one other Power Five offer entering her senior year of high school, calling it “craziness.” Her AAU coach, Kelly Sopac, famously said he’d pick Jaquez last in a three-point shooting contest but would choose her first for one shot to win the game. “And I thought that encapsulates her warrior spirit, her confidence. She knows how to show up in the most pressurized moments,” Close stated.

Jaquez has been the most consistent player in the biggest games throughout her career. “She’s just got this warrior spirit,” Close emphasized. “And I think she can be an inspiration to so many people that it doesn’t have to look like everybody else.” Close predicted that Jaquez will be a top-10 draft pick in the upcoming WNBA draft, calling her a “self-made person” who intentionally built her game. Jaquez improved her three-point shooting from the teens her freshman year to become a 50-40-90 player, which is “unheard of.” Close believes that with a warrior spirit and joy, “anything is possible.”

Multiple Draft Picks and Legacy

Eisen suggested three UCLA players could be top-10 picks, but Close confidently corrected him, “I think four.” She believes all her players will be drafted, with at least four going in the first round. “Don’t sell us short. Come on now,” she added with a smile.

Close also reflected on the honor of coaching in the pavilion where legendary John Wooden’s banners hang. She spoke about her deep connection to Coach Wooden’s teachings and how it’s not just about banners, but about the lessons learned and the people they become. “The only two things that get to stay with you for the rest of your life from these four years is who you become and who you impact,” she said, echoing Wooden’s philosophy. She believes the true measure of success is what her players do in the 40 years after college.

The coach expressed gratitude for being seen for who she is as a person, not just a coach. Her proudest moment, she joked, was teaching Rich Eisen’s wife a basketball play. The interview concluded with mutual appreciation, celebrating UCLA’s championship and the bright futures of its players.

Source: Cori Close on Gabriela Jaquez: She’s going to be a top-10 draft pick! | The Rich Eisen Show (YouTube)