Cori Close Breaks Down UCLA’s First-Round Win

UCLA would face Cal Baptist in the first round of the tournament and deliver a fairly convincing win.

UCLA would play its first game of the tournament on its trek to the Final Four. While they would struggle in the first half, they would get things going in the second, where they would only allow CBU to just nine points. This effort proved how dominant UCLA can be when things start to click.

Slow Starts Are Rare

Lauren BEtt — Mar 21, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) is defended by California Baptist Lancers center Emma Johansson (14) in the first half at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

UCLA would not come out of the gate hot. They ended the first quarter only up 23–15 against a far inferior opponent. This start definitely had people worried and questioning whether UCLA is really a team capable of winning it all. Cori Close would set the record straight, showing that this was an anomaly.

"That actually has not been our thing, has been slow starts. We've actually usually started really well. We had a slow start versus Washington. But outside of that, our first quarters have been one of our best quarters throughout the year. So that actually hasn't been a trend of ours. It actually has been. Taking a breath after when it comes around to the second quarter. So just as, you know, for framing of that, that has not been our Achilles heel and I don't want that to get into their heads that that has been something thats actually been an issue."
Cori Close

Cori Close's Message at Half

Mentioned earlier, the Bruins struggled to push the needle. One thing about this team is that they do not lack the talent to step up and be leaders. However, when there is no communication, and the glue that holds them together starts to slip, that's when things get serious. That is something Close identified early on.

"So it was spirited. It was, you know, I mean, it's just. It was unacceptable. It's not the fact that we missed shots. Those aren't the things that get me really fired up. It's when we don't execute the scouting report, when we... are lackadaisical, when we don't communicate, when we're not connected. Those are the controllable things that we made a commitment to each other that we would deliver on, that we could be dependable to do our job. And we let each other down in that first half about that."
Close

Gianna Kneepkens

Gianna Kneepkens had a rough game; there is no other way around it. Entering the tournament as a 50/40/90 player, the bar for her to execute well and often has been set high. Close explained why she has to hold the bar so high for Kneepkens.

"I think Gianna is a brilliant playmaker on both sides of the ball. And that's the standard I believe in her. And so I was just like. This is what I need from you. I trust her. She isn't going to do it the same way— maybe Kiki will do it or someone else— but her IQ is so high. Her competitive nature is so good. And when she's below the bar of what I know she's capable of. I love her enough to hold her to it, and I was making it really clear of what I knew was in her. And what I expected her to change. And she's a phenomenal kid, a great player, and I was just trying to get to that competitive spirit that I know is in her."
Close

Feb 1, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images