We have a special edition of the What’s Bruin Show as women’s UCLA basketball head coach Cori Close joins us to talk about the upcoming 2018-19 season.
The What’s Bruin Show has been able to interview many former coaches and athletes and today we add another to our prestigious list as the women’s UCLA basketball head coach, Cori Close, joined us for a quick chat about her Bruins as they head into a new season.
RELATED: Podcast – The Men’s UCLA Basketball 2018-19 Season Preview
Not only was it an honor to talk to Coach Close but she gave a lot of fantastic information in regards to UCLA’s next campaign.
More from Go Joe Bruin
- UCLA Football: It’s time for the nation to meet Dante Moore
- UCLA Football: Where are they ranked heading into week 4
- UCLA Football: Position battle breakdown for Utah showdown
- UCLA vs. Utah: Location, time, prediction, and more
- UCLA Football: Highlights from Chip Kelly’s appearance on the Jim Rome Show
We began the episode by talking about her start at UCLA, what she has tried to build in that time and how she has been able to sustain success. Since that 2015 NIT Championship run and up to last season’s Elite Eight appearance, UCLA has been slowly improving every year and Close divulged about how she has been able to do that.
We also talk about which Bruins will be able to step up and try to replace superstars Jordin Canada and Monique Billings. The cupboard is not bare and the coach said that “Offensively, we may end up being a better team than we were with Jordin and Mo because too many players ended up watching them all the time and relying on them to bail us out because they did that so often and so well.”
The coach also talks about some of the newest Bruins that will be able to quickly step in and contribute. Though they are young, they have the talent and will be required to participate and put in a lot of minutes this season.
Recruiting was another topic of conversation, which Close could not get deep into but stated that she likes where it has been going. It is one of the many attributes that will keep the Bruins playing at a high level for seasons to come.
If you have not yet invested in the UCLA Women’s basketball team, now is the time. The Bruins play this Saturday at 2 p.m. in an exhibition game against Westmont before they officially start the season on Tuesday, November 6 at LMU. Their first home game of the season takes place on Sunday, November 11 against Rice.