Close Tells Heartfelt Story About Betts, UConn's Fudd

UCLA coach Cori Close shared an emotional story regarding Bruins junior center Lauren Betts and UConn senior guard Azzi Fudd when she spoke at UCLA's Final Four press conference on Thursday.

Mar 23, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close during the fourth quarter of an NCAA Tournament second round game against the Richmond Spiders at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

UCLA women's basketball is gearing up for a very special opportunity as the Bruins will be competing in their first-ever Final Four on Friday when they take on No. 2 seed UConn.

While the Huskies are the enemy right now, UCLA coach Cori Close has respect and appreciation for one particular UConn player who was there during a difficult point in Close's life.

Senior guard Azzi Fudd, UConn's third-leading scorer, was on Close's 2021 gold-winning U19 USA team, along with Close's star Bruin, junior center Lauren Betts.

During UCLA's Final Four media availability on Thursday, Close shared an emotional memory that she had with Fudd and Betts, one that clearly still has left an imprint on her life.

"Those are probably the two that they carried me a little bit," Close said. "So, when I coached them, my dad died when I was on the trip with USA Basketball. And those two kids -- I remember the circle. I remember sitting there and telling them, 'This is going on, I'm OK, but this is happening.' And their response to me was just tremendous.

"And I had recruited them both, they both turned me down. But Azzi, she just has this -- she has an incredible work ethic, she's an elite player, she has a very tendered heart. And I was the beneficiary of that, and I will be forever grateful."

Betts, of course, has had an outstanding season with the Bruins, earning the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Award and first-team All-Big Ten honors and Wooden All-America honors. She was also a finalist for the Naismith Award and is a finalist for the Wooden Award.

Meanwhile, Fudd, has helped lead her team to the brink of the national title team in her final collegiate season, averaging 13.1 points per game.

Both players will be looking to help advance their team to the title game and do something neither of them has been able to in their respective careers: win a national championship.

Friday's matchup is set for 9:30 p.m. EST, 6:30 p.m. PST.

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