Madeline Kenney UCLA’s Cori Close finally got immeasurable reward for climbing basketball mountain her way By Madeline Kenney Published April 5, 2026, 9:35 p.m. ET Head coach Cori Close of the UCLA Bruins reacts during the third quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the National Championship of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 05, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. Getty Images PHOENIX — UCLA coach Cori Close’s mom waited out of camera view before her daughter welcomed her into her arms.
After a long embrace with yellow-and-blue confetti still trickling down, a teary-eyed Close tried to put into words what winning a national championship meant.
“It’s immeasurably more than I can ask or imagine,” Close said. “It’s beyond my wildest dreams.”
In an age of instant gratification, Close committed to doing things her way.
