Dawn Staley and South Carolina are set to face UCLA in the national title game. A win for Staley would mark her fourth championship, making her only the fourth coach to achieve this feat.
UCLA coach Cori Close is aiming for her first championship.
Staley Praises Close
Staley believes Close belongs among the game’s legends. Staley described Close as a connector.
According to Staley, Close connects with her players, the community, and powerful women who can support her and her players. Staley also noted that Close uses her voice and is in tune with the game, sharing her knowledge to help it grow.
“I do think she’s a spokesperson for our game and she’s one that really has used her voice for the advancement of our sport,” Staley said.
Close’s Coaching Evolution
Close finds herself in the conversation with some of the game’s legends after 15 years of building the Bruins into a Final Four programme, and now an NCAA championship game contender.
At a Final Four featuring Staley, Geno Auriemma of Connecticut, and Vic Shaefer of Texas, Close was often excluded from discussions about star coaches. Critics have often described her as a motivator rather than a tactical strategist.
However, she now leads the best UCLA team ever to the NCAA title game, facing Staley head-to-head.
Lessons Learned From Previous Final Four
Close reflected on last year’s “embarrassment” in the Final Four, and how she learned from the mistakes that led to a blowout loss to UConn. Close admitted she “did a crappy job as a leader”.
“The moment we touched down, I was in the transfer portal. Not a great situation. One of my biggest regrets of last spring is that I didn’t celebrate them enough. I didn’t find ways to go, ‘This team was the most successful team since 1978-79.’ I let myself get wrapped up in everything that was transpiring in the portal. I don’t think I did a good enough job in that way.”
UCLA demonstrated their toughness with a hard-fought victory over Texas.
UCLA’s Veteran Squad
Close heads into Sunday’s championship game with a veteran group. No starter is younger than 22. A leadership group of six players are expected to exhaust their eligibility and potentially enter the WNBA.
All of those players, with the exception of Gianna Kneepkens, experienced last season’s Final Four firsthand. Charlisse Leger-Walker, who transferred from Washington State, spent the year recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Leger-Walker started this season as point guard and has noticed a change in Close since last season’s Final Four run. “Cori has built a lot of trust with this group, and it shows in the way that she stays so composed,” Leger-Walker said.