3 Main Takeaways From Cori Close's Press Conference

Cori Close would speak to the media via Zoom to discuss the massive 97-61 win over Penn State. Here is what she had to say.

The Bruins looked sharp in this one; while a few more points would have been nice, you can't complain with the result. This blowout win could not come at a better time, especially since the Bruins had barely squeaked past Ohio State by seven the game prior.

Cori Close on Sienna Betts

Sienna Betts had a very good game against Penn State. She scored 10 points on 4-8 shooting, as well as two rebounds and one assist. You can tell she is still settling in; however, Cori Close gave her high praise following the big win. Close was asked how she is adapting to the new environment:

She is one of the smartest players on our team, honestly. But she's just getting reps, right? And she' not been cleared very long. And so I do think it's like... Relearning things at a different pace, with different urgency and different intensity. You know, there's just— it's a— it's a brand new level. You have to go to and so, sometimes, you gotta fail a little bit, you gotta struggle a little bit to find gears inside of yourself that maybe you didn't even know you had. "I was really proud of Siena's adjustments offensively in the second half, for instance, today. And she is— she's such a talented player. On both sides of the ball. And I think I've been most impressed with how she's been forced to guard perimeter players and the way she sat down and moved her feet, the way she';s learned the schemes. She's going to be a big time, dominant player here at UCLA that we're going to talk about for a really long time.
Cori Close

Cori Close on Charisse Leger-Walker

Charlisse Leger-Walker is the beating heart of this Bruins team. Her basketball IQ is borderline unmatched in this leauge as a whole, and has been crucial to UCLA's success all season. Her playmaking ablility has allowed UCLA to get the most out of it's core.

"But, you know, Charlisse [Leger-Walker] is a... I mean, that's why I'm getting so many calls from the WNBA. Her ability to feel the game and, you know, set other people up to be better, more efficient. I think we had, how many assists did we have today? We had 27 assists on, I think, 36 field goals. I mean, that's pretty darn good. And Charlisse Leger Walker deserves a lot of that credit. Her feel of the game, her understanding of what's needed, who's hot, who needs a touch. how the defense is playing, she has a gift."
Cori Close

A Place Where UCLA can Improve

Dec 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Gianna Kneepkens (8) is defended by Long Beach State Beach guard Khylee Pepe (13) during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Bruins have looked great, however, there have been plenty of times where it has seemed like they have taken their foot off the gas pedal. Moving forward, Cori Close expects more consistency from the team to really push the needle down the road.

" Really being blunt, I still think we need to grow in our consistency of aggression and defense. So I think we made strides, I told the team in the locker room. Making strides. I think we had more consistent possessions today, but I still think we have room to grow in that. So those are the big areas of emphasis for me. consistent level of aggression and playing really really hard and then uh really having us play consistent defense and doing our jobs with great consistency because we have enough maturity and knowledge to to do that a little bit better. "
Cori Close

Apr 3, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; UCLA Bruins coach Cori Close speaks after receiving the AP Coach of the Year trophy during press conference at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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