Former NCAA Coach Puts a Bold Label on Cori Close’s UCLA Team

With 18-1 and 8-0 in the season, the UCLA Bruins, guided by head coach Cori Close, have been the most formidable team in the Big Ten. They have powered through ranked teams, including Maryland, Oklahoma, and Tennessee, with ease, and their defeat to Texas in November remains the only game they have dropped so far. Since the Longhorns’ defeat, the Bruins have been on a rampage with a 12-game winning streak and 34.8 ppg, earning a bold yet justifiable claim from a former D1 coach.

Shimmy Miller, a former assistant basketball coach at Clemson, Florida, Texas Tech, and Nebraska, and a present analyst for the Big Ten Network, broke down UCLA’s winning formula this season in an interview. “They have had a target on their back this entire season. And really against Texas, they stumbled a little bit, but I cannot expect them to beat teams with a 30-point margin, the way they are,” she said.

For Miller, the abundance of talent on the Bruins’ roster this season is a significant reason behind UCLA’s success. Experienced campaigners Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, and Gabriela Jaquez are considered top WNBA draft prospects and are worth more than gold to Close. These players have combined to help the Bruins to a massive extent, with all of them averaging over 10 points this season. Moreover, seniors like Angela Dugalic and Gianna Kneepkens have complemented the offense perfectly.

“It doesn’t matter if they are on home, or on the road. This is a veteran team, and I have seen some WNBA projections,” Miller said. “They have as many as six players on this roster expected to be drafted, but I think there’s more legit WNBA players on this roster. So, having that talent certainly helps.”

Miller concluded her perspective by saying, “This is a really complete team, and I think this is Cori Close’s best team. This team is better than the UCLA team they had last year.” Close’s 2024-25 Bruins team was a pioneer in its own way for the program’s history. The side reached the Final Four of the National Championships for the first time last season, but eventually lost to the UConn Huskies.

It would take a few more weeks to determine whether the Bruins can iterate on their performance last season and validate Close’s claim. However, for now, the team is on the right path. The team stands third in the AP rankings with a perfect balance on both sides of the court. With an experienced squad and Cori Close’s tactics, the Bruins are among the favorites for the national tournament in March.

A formidable defense and intense pressure during the rotations have been UCLA’s strengths this season. Additionally, the quality of the Bruins’ bench this season, including players like Dugalic, adds depth to the team. Moreover, with its winning rhythm, UCLA is in for a few more dominating wins in its upcoming matches to preserve its position in the conference and the rankings.

What Are Cori Close and the UCLA Bruins’ Upcoming Challenges?

With three victories over ranked teams, USC, Nebraska, and Maryland in January, the UCLA Bruins have a couple of relatively easy challenges in the upcoming games. Unranked sides Northwestern and Illinois are next on the road for the Bruins on Sunday and Wednesday. While the Bruins are favored by 99% against Northwestern, per ESPN, away games can still be tricky.

However, with the likes of Lauren Betts and Charlisse Leger-Walker, Close can find it relatively easy to tackle the Northwestern challenge. Betts leads the side in points, rebounds, and blocks, validating her future as a WNBA prospect. With her movements near the opposition court and interior shooting, Betts is quite a formidable scorer for a center. While Betts doesn’t emphasize three-pointers, Gabriela Jaquez and Gianna Kneepkens compensate for it. Both Jaquez and Kneepkens have over 45% from three-point range and are specialists in distance shooting.

Thus, it would be interesting to see the combination Close deploys against unranked Northwestern. The Tigers haven’t been defensively sound this season and have conceded an average of 71 ppg. So, Close can afford to rotate her squad a bit and preserve her talismans for the ranked games against IOWA, Michigan, and Michigan State next month.

Moreover, a more challenging task looms ahead of Close: fixing the roster next season. With several of the team’s seniors departing next year, the same firepower at the Bruins can take time to develop. So, this season poses a significant opportunity for Close to finally clinch a national title in her 15th year in charge ahead of their upcoming transition year. Can the Bruins cross the Final Four margin this season? What’s your thought?

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