UCLA’s Quiet Focus Going Into Sweet 16

The No. 1-seeded Bruins (32-2) will face No. 5 seed Ole Miss (22-10) in the Spokane 1 regional Friday night, following the conclusion of No. 2 seed NC State vs. No. seed 3 LSU. And while the spotlight is growing brighter, Coach Cori Close’s focus remains locked on the details.

“We have a competitive staff and team,” Close said Thursday. “We have bigger aspirations, and we know where we've been and where we want to go. But honestly, I want them to focus on the preparation.”

That preparation, not pressure, is what Close believes will carry UCLA deeper into March. In meetings with the team this week, she’s emphasized mindset, effort, and composure over postseason hype.

“I just want us to stay focused. … I think the two things I really try to focus on are gratitude and joy,” Close said. “As long as we’re doing our job with our preparation, I just think the more we can laugh, the more we can understand how fortunate we are, I think we free ourselves up for the biggest moments.”

Friday’s matchup presents a stylistic challenge. Ole Miss hangs its hat on disruptive, physical defense, something Close has emphasized in scouting.

“They know who they are, and they know how they're built,” she said. “Other than rebounding, I would say our ability to take care of the ball and get paint shots against that tough-minded defense are really the keys to the game.”

That means making sure UCLA’s most dominant interior weapon, 6-foot-7 junior center Lauren Betts, remains central in the offensive flow, especially in transition.

“I think we should try to get her a touch every single time in transition off a missed basket stop,” Close said. “But the great luxury of having Lauren is that she also creates really good opportunities for our other players.

" … We always say no robots allowed. We want to have them be basketball players that are reading situations and making plays out of that.”

Close knows exactly what it’ll take to keep UCLA moving forward, and it starts with staying grounded.

“I want our players to have complete focus on mastering their craft and being elite teammates with and for each other,” She explained. “And then that gives them the best chance to go back to an Elite Eight, go beyond to a Final Four, to compete for a national championship.”

In a month where chaos often defines the court, UCLA isn’t chasing noise or headlines. They’re chasing execution. And if Cori Close has her way, that quiet focus just might speak the loudest.

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