"There was a buisness-like approach": UCLA HC Cori Close reflects on Final Four loss to Paige Bueckers, Geno Auriemma's UConn 

The UCLA Bruins had a decent campaign last season, finishing second in the Big Ten Conference and later reaching the Final Four round of the NCAA Tournament.

Eventually, they were defeated by the champions, the UConn Huskies, by a scoreline of 85-51. Although it was a comprehensive defeat, it was a good season for head coach Cori Close as she guided the Bruins to their first Final Four.

On Saturday, May 30, Close appeared on the Good Follow podcast and spoke about various topics. She talked about UCLA's final four defeat against Geno Auriemma's Huskies and credited the UConn staff and players, as none of them had championship experience apart from the head coach.

"I had no time to fit a practice in on the second day," Close began. "You know, and I just think about—okay, they went to a secondary site and practiced even in the midst of everything. They had the same media obligations, the same dinner they had to attend. (Timestamps 24:40)

"There was just a business-like approach. They checked those boxes and said, “We know exactly what we’re doing, how we’re preparing, and what it’s going to take to get there. I mean, none of those kids on that team—credit to their staff—because none of those kids had won a national championship for UConn."

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Cori Close feels the UCLA Bruins were 'inches' away from winning the Final Four clash

Speaking about the Final Four loss, Close feels that the UCLA Bruins were inches away from reaching the championship game. She felt UConn were better than them in key areas, which took the game away.

NCAA Womens Basketball: AP Coach and Player of the Year Press Conference - Source: Imagn

"Every coach will say it, every player will intellectually understand it, that the 'inches' at that level are very small. UConn grabbed their inches better than we did," Close opined. (Timestamps 26:06)

"They made fewer errors than we did. Every time there was a one-on-one battle, they were trying not to get hit by the screen, and you were trying to run them through the screen. Bottom line is they won more of those one-on-one battles."

It was a decent season for Close and the Bruins last season and they will be hoping to build on this for the 2025-26 campaign. UCLA will be looking to contend for the Big Ten Conference title and also go deep in the NCAA Tournament.