"I take responsibility, we knew we didn't play our best": UCLA HC Cori Close gets real on defeat to Kim Mulkey's LSU in Sweet Sixteen last year
It took Cori Close's UCLA less than four weeks to clinch the throne in the AP women's college basketball poll. The Bruins snatched it right from the hands of South Carolina, ending its 43-game winning streak on Nov. 24. However, Close does not see value in determining the team's journey based on the good or bad games.
Talking about navigating the ups and downs of a season in an exclusive interview with NCAA on Friday, coach Close reflected on UCLA's season-ending loss to LSU Tigers last season. Not only did she admit that her roster failed to put its best step forward but also took the blame on herself as the team's leader.
"I really try to stay away from outcome, good or bad, from determining the value of the journey," Cori Close said. "We played some of the best basketball of any team I've ever coached when we were playing at our height last year and then had real disappointment in how we showed up in the last Swee 16 game against LSU.
"I think all of us, and I take responsibility first, we know we didn't play our best when our best was needed."
Cori Close wants to instill consistency in her roster
Cori Close claims that the challenge for her roster was the mental aspect of the game. It is something that she is working on instilling within the present roster, aiming that the team continue to play a high standard of basketball when things feel out of control on the hardwood.
"One of the things that I've really tried to do is help us is to lead through chaos," Close said. "When things don't go as we planned, how do we still show up well? That's been something I've really been focusing on and really just being present."
UCLA entered the Sweet 16 matchup against Kim Mulkey's LSU after beating some of the top teams like UConn Huskies, USC Trojans, Ohio State and Creighton Blue Jays along the way.
However, the Bruins' 3-point struggles in the first half forced them to play catchup in the second half. Even though UCLA opened the 4th quarter with an even 48 on the scoreboard, their offense scattered in the last two minutes of the game, resulting in a 78-69 season-ending defeat.