"I'd get myself in trouble for this": UCLA HC Cori Close makes stern statement on "smaller" teams amid Lauren Betts injury situation
UCLA coach Cori Close had a few things to say at her postgame press conference on Monday. After her No. 1-ranked Bruins' dominant 69-37 win over Cal Poly, Close made a point to speak about the growing trend she's seen of opposing players taking down her taller players at the legs.
Her comments came after Lauren Betts was sidelined for a similar reason.
"I do want to make this point though, and I get myself in trouble with this. ... Teams that are smaller than us — I get it we have a huge advantage — what cannot be allowed is taking our players out at the legs," Close said (Timestamp: 2:30).
"We've had injury after injury this year because people say, 'Well, I can't beat them this way so I'm just gonna ...' And that's the reason that Lauren Betts is out today, because of a play that happened just like that.
"And she's not the only one where it's happened this year. I really need our officials to lock into that. We can't feel sorry for the other team because they're at a disadvantage. We need to have solid play so that everybody stays healthy."
Cori Close and the UCLA Bruins to take part in 2025 round-robin event
Cori Close and UCLA, along with South Carolina, Duke and Texas, are set to face off in a high-profile round-robin women’s basketball tournament in Las Vegas during Thanksgiving week next year.
Each of the participating teams — currently ranked in the nation’s top 10 — will play one another throughout the tournament.
UCLA and South Carolina occupy the top two spots, while Texas is ranked sixth and Duke sits ninth. UCLA handed reigning NCAA champion South Carolina its first loss in 43 games last month.
"As a program striving for consistent championship-level performance, it’s critical for us to compete against the best," Close said. "We’re looking forward to a rematch with South Carolina and to taking on other elite teams.
"This tournament will be the premier nonconference event of the season, complete with national visibility. It’s an honor to be part of such an elite competition."
South Carolina will face Cori Close and UCLA during the tournament while also taking on Duke this season. The Gamecocks are scheduled to meet Texas in conference play as the Longhorns make their debut in the Southeastern Conference.
“We’re thrilled to be one of the first women’s teams invited to the Players Era Women’s Championship,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. “This groundbreaking event brings together everything we value—competitive early-season matchups, a fantastic destination for fans, and NIL opportunities for our athletes.”
In the meantime, Cori Close and UCLA’s immediate focus will be Friday’s matchup against Creighton in the Invisalign Bay Area Women’s Basketball Classic in San Francisco.