At 14-0, there’s not much to complain about for the No. 1-ranked UCLA women’s basketball team, which began 2025 with an 86-70 win over Michigan on New Year’s Day at home. However, Bruins head coach Cori Close declared the Wolverines as the tougher team in Wednesday’s game.
“I thought they out-toughed us tonight,” Close said of Michigan in the postgame press conference. “We may have more talent pieces and may have won the game but they won the toughness, togetherness battle.”
Close was also complimentary toward Michigan head coach Kim Barnes Arico, who Close has known since the two were at Florida State and St. John’s, with Close saying that Barnes Arico’s teams always bring the toughness they played with on Wednesday.
Michigan held its own against the terrific rebounding UCLA squad, bringing down 32 boards compared to the Bruins’ 37. The Wolverines forced 15 UCLA turnovers.
“I told our team we didn’t win enough teamwork plays, transition D, 50-50s, rebounding, executing the scouting report, bench energy,” Close listed. “It wasn’t one of our better games. We have an immense amount of talent but we have to decide whether we want to win individual games or we want to become a championship team. That’s a decision we have to make right away.”
UCLA has yet to reach that threshold as a program. While the Bruins feature a loaded roster, they haven’t appeared in the Elite Eight since 2018 and have not won an NCAA national championship or made the Final Four. Throughout their wins this year, Close has remained vocal about their shortcomings and how to become a championship team. They still have to clean things up.