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Cori Close Leaves Door Open to WNBA Move After UCLA National Title
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- Cori Close Leaves Door Open to WNBA Move After UCLA National Title
(Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
UCLA women's basketball coach Cori Close has not ruled out a move to the WNBA , she told the California Post on Wednesday in Rosemont, Ill., where the Big Ten held its women's basketball media day.
Close told the Post she would not leave for another college job. The Bruins are less than a month from opening their defense of the program's first national championship, and Close recently hired an executive coach to help manage her workload, according to the report.
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Close's tipping point for leaving the college game includes being able to be a good daughter and a good friend, along with maintaining her health.
"Honestly, I haven't been doing that and I am determined to do so," Close said. "But I think that if I wasn't able to find the right balance in college, that probably would be my next step, in the WNBA."
Close's UCLA Contract Leaves Room for a WNBA Move
In May, Close signed a four-year, $8.0375 million extension. The deal runs through the 2029-30 season.
The Post reported that the new contract carries a reduced buyout if Close leaves UCLA for a head coaching job in the WNBA.
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Under her previous deal, Close earned a $1.2 million salary in 2025-26 before incentives. She triggered all 11 of her performance bonuses, worth another $180,000, according to the Post's reporting in May.
Close Is Coming Off UCLA's Best Season
UCLA went 37-1 last season. The Bruins won a program-record 31 straight games and went 18-0 in Big Ten play. They also won a second consecutive Big Ten tournament title.
On April 5, UCLA beat South Carolina 79-51 for the national championship.
A year earlier, the Bruins reached the Final Four for the first time in program history. Close was named the Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year that season. In 2025-26, she was the Big Ten Coach of the Year.
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Eight days after the title game, six Bruins were selected in the WNBA Draft on April 13. Five went in the first round. Both are league records for a single program.
Washington took Lauren Betts at No. 4 and Angela Dugalic at No. 9. Chicago took Gabriela Jaquez at No. 5. The expansion Toronto Tempo made Kiki Rice its first draft pick, and Connecticut selected Gianna Kneepkens in the first round and Charlisse Leger-Walker in the second.
Chicago, which drafted Jaquez, confirmed Oct. 4 that Sky coach Tyler Marsh will return for a third season .
Close has coached 23 WNBA draft picks at UCLA, according to the school.
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UCLA Begins Its Title Defense in November
Close was named the Bruins' head coach in April 2011. Through 15 seasons, Close is 358-144 with 10 trips to the NCAA Tournament. She is the only coach in program history with more than 300 wins.
UCLA returned five players from the championship roster and added seven newcomers for 2026-27.
Arizona visits Pauley Pavilion on Nov. 12. The Bruins will unveil their championship banner and hold their ring ceremony on Nov. 15 against Princeton.
UCLA and South Carolina meet in a rematch of the national championship game on Dec. 19 in Las Vegas.
