UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close reacts in the third quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the National Championship game of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Caitlin Clark has a perfect description for UCLA's Cori Close

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Apr 6, 2026 11:54 AM ET

For the first time in program history, the UCLA Bruins have won a women's national basketball championship.

Head coach Cori Close had to wait 15 long years to finally get the monkey off her back, with stars Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice at the helm of the program.

The Bruins put together an absolute masterclass in a 79-51 rout of Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks in the most dominant performance in program history.

That's why Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark took to social media to tip her hat to Close.

Caitlin Clark praises Cori Close after UCLA wins title

"Not many care about the game as much as Coach Close … couldn’t be happier for her!! Congrats UCLA," the star point guard wrote on X.

Not many care about the game as much as Coach Close … couldn’t be happier for her!!
Congrats @UCLAWBB
— Caitlin Clark (@CaitlinClark22) April 5, 2026

In a time when not getting the job done within the first couple of years is considered a failure, the fact that the Bruins decided to stick with Close for so long is nothing short of extraordinary.

UCLA had been knocking on the door for years now, falling short in the Round of 32 in 2023, then the Sweet 16 in 2024, then the Final Four last season, and now finally finishing the job.

More than that, doing so against one of the greatest coaches in women's basketball history and after the way they dominated UConn is all the more impressive.

UCLA will lose some of its stars to the WNBA, but with Close leading the way, they're not going anywhere.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

More must-reads: