In Photos: Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice and other UCLA players lock in for practice with coach Cori Close ahead of the upcoming season

The UCLA Bruins coach Cori Close, with stars like Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice fronting the team, is preparing for what should be another high-exposure season. The team began its summer training this week after a brief offseason break and a productive recruiting period.

The Bruins shared a series of photos and videos of training activities via their Instagram account, offering fans a sneak peek at the team's intense preparations.

"Summer school is now in session #GoBruins," the caption read.

Here's a look at UCLA's first week of practice:

The first image showed Charlisse Leger-Walker, a senior forward who transferred from Washington State last year, taking a jump shot. She missed the entire 2024-25 season due to an ACL injury.

The second slide featured a video of senior big Lauren Betts showing her moves in the paint. One image showed the Utah Utes transfer Gianna Kneepkens dribbling the ball. Kneepkens is coming off a gold-medal win at the FIBA AmeriCup this month. She averaged 19.3 point and 5.0 rebounds for the Utes last season.

Veteran guard Kiki Rice was also seen putting up shots, looking to improve her offensive game.

Cori Close gave a passionate speech on the first day of practice in one of the videos.

"Make a personal decision today, all of you," she said. "You're not going to be perfect. This isn't going to be like everything gets solved all at once. But you're personally all in to get better today — and we'll give you some of that."

Cori Close heaps praise on Kiki Rice's 3-point shooting progress

On Monday, the UCLA Bruins' social media posted a graphic of their star guard Kiki Rice's improved 3-point shooting numbers over the years. Not only did she improve her accuracy, but she also increased her volume.

As a freshman, she averaged .217 from beyond the arc on 60 attempts. Her sophomore year numbers jumped to .312 on 93 attempts, and Rice shot 36.5% last season on 85 attempts.

Cori Close responded to the post on X (formerly Twitter) and praised Rice's progress.

"So proud of Kiki Rice growth, leadership, work ethic, and willingness to be coached hard. Can’t wait to be in PURSUIT with her this next year," Close wrote.

UCLA is looking to build on last season's Final Four run and contend for a national championship next year.