Final Four 2026: UCLA coach Cori Close apologizes for 'ugly basketball' as her Bruins shut down Texas: 'I feel bad for the fans'
Friday's national semifinal produced 35 turnovers and the third-lowest total score in women's Final Four history.
The win still counts, and UCLA’s advancing to the national championship game. But UCLA’s 51-44 win over Texas in the Final Four Friday night wasn’t exactly a thing of beauty. In fact, after UCLA took a 31-28 lead through three quarters, Bruins coach Cori Close acknowledged as much to ESPN during a candid in-game interview.
“I feel bad for the fans,” she said. “31-28? I mean, it’s an ugly basketball game.
” After the game, Close jokingly offered an apology to fans while speaking with Scott Van Pelt on “SportsCenter. ” “It wasn’t the sport I thought I was coaching,” she said. “I think it was more rugby than it was basketball.
I wanted to apologize to all the fans that we couldn’t give them a cleaner game, with 23 turnovers. ” Cori Close acknowledged that UCLA's Final Four win over Texas wasn't much fun to watch. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / REUTERS Neither Close nor the Bruins have anything to apologize for to UCLA fans.