Coach Close sits in her office, answering a quick question from her director of ops and flagging down her video coordinator for an upcoming recruit’s official visit. She’s happy to take a beat and talk about the Bruins and what’s to come in 2026-27.

With the full schedule finalized and a calendar completed, she can keep her eyes focused on the season ahead.

What’s one big thing you’re looking forward to with this new squad?

They’ve really been engaged with ‘running it forward’ is what we’re calling it. And that we, you know, the standard is the standard, and we’re always talking about that there’s a strength in the standard, and there’s a level of teamwork and work ethic that is going to be required for us to play at the standard of excellence that we all have. This group has been really willing to be sacrificial for each other, and connected to each other, so that we’re all the best versions of ourselves.

With ‘running it forward’ – you reference that and talk about it a lot. How have you been able to keep eyes straight ahead for everyone heading into this new season?

Success leaves clues, and there’s obviously a lot to learn from the standards that were set last year, and we’re thankful for those. But we’re not trying to repeat an outcome. We’re trying to repeat a commitment to a set of values and a process. That yields outcomes finding us. And I think everyone can see that looking back or spending too much time on last year’s team could become a potential distraction. So, I think the biggest way to protect ourselves from, you know, looking backwards is to have a clear vision forward, and that’s ultimately my job to set that course.

The Bruins have made a few deep runs, with two-consecutive Final Fours plus a national championship run; how have the last two postseasons informed how you lead with a new group like this?

I still go back to, you know, the more we shut out outside noise and really consistently brought clarity, a vision of what’s on the inside of our circle, the better we became. And what I also learned from the last two Final Fours is that the more you surrender outcomes, and are fully invested in your values and your process, the more outcomes find you. I just, I think, I knew those things by word, but now I know them deep in my spirit and I think everyone in this whole building understands that.

UCLA is going to have rematches with everyone from last year’s Sweet 16 to the championship, from non-conference and then into Big Ten play. How important is it to schedule those sorts of games to challenge your team throughout the year?

I think we have an incredible conference for women’s basketball. The Big Ten is projected to have 14 out of 18 teams make the NCAA tournament… that is unbelievable. And in order to be prepared for that, you know, incredible preparation, we need to test ourselves with the very best. From our road games at Tennessee, to the Players Era showcase, to Duke, to—I mean, just fill in the blanks. I think it’s so important – Oklahoma, you at the Coretta Scott King Classic – I think it’s really simple. If you want to be held to the highest of standards, you need to measure yourself against those standards throughout the entire season, and allow there to be a refining with each experience. You’ll earn confidence in those experiences, and you’ll also have things exposed, and both are equally important. That doesn’t happen unless you’re challenging yourself against the very, very best.

Big news this summer, you brought in Noelle Quinn as an assistant coach. What has she added to your staff in the month or two that she’s been here?

Oh, she has been absolutely tremendous. She’s really one of one. We have not found anyone else that has done this: she won a conference championship when she was here as a Bruin in the Pac-10 tournament, so she has a college championship. She’s got a WNBA championship as a player, and she has a WNBA championship as a coach. I don’t think there’s anyone else that has done all of those things. So, to have someone with just that one-of-one pedigree—when she speaks, our players listen. And the impact she’s had on recruits, you know, to be able to come to college and we believe we’re the best development program in the country. We take a lot of pride in how we get our players ready for the next level. And she just adds to that in a really great way. If you asked everyone on our staff, we would be in total agreement that she has just been this breath of fresh air. She’s not only made our players better, she’s made the rest of our staff better, too.

Final question: what can fans expect from the Bruins this year?

It’s an incredibly focused, committed, versatile group. I think we’re going to shoot it really well, I think we’re going to be able to put more pressure on the ball defensively. And really, maybe even press a little bit more. I think this group is going to be—it’s really not going to be about the individual. It’s going to be about the collective whole. Teamwork is going to be at a paramount, but I really like this group, and I really like what they can grow into.