The UCLA Bruins, coached by Cori Close, will be featured on a famous TV host’s talk show following the biggest accomplishment in their program’s history.
On Sunday, the Bruins, led by the likes of Lauren Betts, won their program its first national title after defeating Coach Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks in neutral territory, the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
Now that they can call themselves national champions, the opportunities for Betts and company will continue to grow. This includes an upcoming feature on the renowned TV show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” The host of the show has a net worth of $50 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth.
According to a report by Arash Markazi on X/Twitter, coach Close, Betts, Gabriela Jaquez, Kiki Rice, and Angela Dugalic will all be on Kimmel’s show on Tuesday, April 7.
The team will presumably have several appearances and features on other shows in the coming weeks. The Bruins defeated the Gamecocks by an astounding 28 points, 79-51, to capture their first NCAA title. UCLA finished the 2025-26 campaign with an overall record of 37-1 (18-0 Big Ten).
Cori Close Speaks On The UCLA Bruins Finally Winning A National Championship
The UCLA Bruins women’s basketball team’s first national championship came almost five decades after the program’s inception. For coach Cori Close specifically, it has taken her about 15 years since joining the team to finally reach the mountaintop.
During her post-game press conference, as published on On3, Close was asked about how satisfying it is to win the title. Close said it’s all about always showing up.
“I really never listened to those things. I care that my players feel that we show up for them. I care that the families of our players feel like we lived out what we told them when we recruited them. I care about having consistency with our mission. This really is a by-product, and it really is only meaningful because of the people I get to share it with. I wondered how it would feel. I really did expect us to win today,” Close was quoted as saying.
“I thought about it several times. I’m like, ‘We’re going to win.’ I felt very peaceful all day. It wasn’t about whether or not we got the W or not. I wanted us to be able to play our best when our best was needed. We delivered on that. It just is so much for me, not about a national championship, but it’s the validation that it can be done differently,” she concluded.
Read More: Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson, Stephen A. Smith And More React As Cori Close’s UCLA Blow Out Dawn Staley’s South Carolina for NCAA Championship
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