# Cori Close Breaks Down UCLA’s Title Run, Historic WNBA Draft, and What Comes Next

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/no-offseason-the-athletic-women-s-basketball-show-6528302/cori-close-breaks-down-ucla-s-title-run-historic-wnba-draft-and-what-comes-next
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/no-offseason-the-athletic-women-s-basketball-show-6528302/cori-close-breaks-down-ucla-s-title-run-historic-wnba-draft-and-what-comes-next.md
Podcast: [No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show](https://stenobird.com/podcast/no-offseason-the-athletic-women-s-basketball-show-6528302)
Published: 2026-04-24T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/no-offseason-the-athletic-womens-basketball-show/episodes/cori-close-breaks-down-uclas-title-run-historic-wnba-draft-a
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6818a0d4eb737caf8ca3e31e/e/69eac39066c3374f7e46ce78/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/no-offseason-the-athletic-women-s-basketball-show-6528302/episodes/cori-close-breaks-down-ucla-s-title-run-historic-wnba-draft-and-what-comes-next
Duration seconds: 2363

## Resource

Chantel Jennings chats with UCLA head coach Cori Close about the whirlwind following UCLA Women’s Basketball’s national title win, the lessons learned from past experiences, and what it takes to build a championship culture. Coach Close also shares the influence of John Wooden and discusses the evolving landscape of college sports—particularly the transfer portal and NIL era. She outlines her strategic approach to recruiting and emphasizes the importance of institutional support for sustained success. REFERENCES:  How UCLA’s super senior class, led by Lauren Betts, set the championship standard by Sabreena Merchant Grading every 2026 WNBA first-round draft pick from Azzi Fudd to Lauren Betts by Sabreena Merchant and Chantel Jennings __ No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network Email us: NoOffseason@theathletic.com Sign up for the No Offseason newsletter! YT:  @No-Offseason  IG: @tanooffseason TikTok: @no_offseason Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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## Transcript

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