UCLA’s Cori Close credits John Wooden-inspired mentality as key to season-long success

The UCLA women’s basketball team won its first-ever NCAA national championship Sunday, and head coach Cori Close cited her squad’s season-long mentality as the key to a historic season.

Since taking over the program in 2011, Close has emphasized basketball’s mental side and preached the late former UCLA men’s basketball coach John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success.

“We’ve made that a priority to set our minds on the right things,” Close said in an interview with Today in LA. “We’ve just been speaking this into existence mostly in the habits that you’re going to need to have.”

Wooden, who won 10 national championships during his 27-season tenure, mentored Close starting when she was an assistant coach with the Bruins.

Close played point guard for UC Santa Barbara from 1989-93 and was then hired by UCLA.

After two years with the Bruins, she returned to her alma mater as an assistant in 1995.

Close maintained contact with Wooden while she coached at other schools, including when she was an assistant at Florida State from 2004-11.

Wooden’s teaching and coaching pyramid consists of attributes like faith, patience and integrity, which can be used both on the court and in life. 

He died in 2010, and when Close became UCLA’s head coach the next year, she took the lessons he shared with her and put them to use within her own program.

“The definition of competitive greatness is the peace of mind knowing that you gave your very best,” Close said. “It really isn’t about the outcome, it’s about the process.”

The Bruins capped the year off with a 79-51 rout over the South Carolina Gamecocks, and avenged their only regular-season defeat by taking down the Texas Longhorns in Friday’s Final Four game.

This year, the team was led by an experienced group of seniors, including guard Gabriela Jaquez, who scored a team-leading 21 points, and center Lauren Betts, who added 14 points of her own along with 11 rebounds.

Close could tell before the game that her players were focused and ready to play.

“Right after our walkthrough, we all got together (and) talked about how three strands that are woven together are not easily broken,” Close said. “I could just see in their eyes. Every individual was so locked.”

UCLA never trailed against the Gamecocks and led by as many as 35 points.
Six of the Bruins’ seniors are expected to be selected during the WNBA Draft next Monday.