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Basketball
Cori Close Breaks Down UCLA’s Title Run, Historic WNBA Draft, and What Comes Next
No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show›
Apr 24, 202639:23
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Basketball
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Chantel Jennings chats with UCLA head coach Cori Close about the whirlwind following UCLA Women’s Basketball’s national title win, the lessons learned from past experiences, and what it takes to build a championship culture.
Coach Close also shares the influence of John Wooden and discusses the evolving landscape of college sports—particularly the transfer portal and NIL era. She outlines her strategic approach to recruiting and emphasizes the importance of institutional support for sustained success.
REFERENCES:
How UCLA’s super senior class, led by Lauren Betts, set the championship standard by Sabreena Merchant
Grading every 2026 WNBA first-round draft pick from Azzi Fudd to Lauren Betts by Sabreena Merchant and Chantel Jennings
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-Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita
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Listen guide
"Cori Close Breaks Down UCLA’s Title Run, Historic WNBA Draft, and What Comes Next" is an episode of No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show. Runtime 39 min. Published April 24, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.
