It took CORI CLOSE fifteen seasons to win a national championship at UCLA and that timeline is the point. In this talk, she breaks down what it takes to build a winning program: patient recruiting, developing players over years rather than reaching for quick fixes, and holding to a long-term plan through seasons when the results hadn't caught up yet. Close speaks candidly about what real team building requires when the pressure to win now never lets up, and why the fifteenth season, not the first, is often when a program actually arrives. 

When six of CORI CLOSE players were selected in a single WNBA Draft, a league record, five of them in the first round, it wasn't luck. It was the product of a development system built over fifteen years at UCLA. In this talk, Close breaks down how she identifies talent, develops it methodically, and builds a roster where every player improves, not just the stars; a model for any organization trying to build depth instead of leaning on one standout performer.

CORI CLOSE has never described coaching as a job, she calls it a calling. In this talk, she shares how her Christian faith has shaped the way she builds a program: the standard she holds players to on and off the court, the patience to lead through losing seasons without losing sight of purpose, and what she calls an "uncommon, transformational" approach to leadership. Close speaks openly about the setbacks that shaped her convictions and what it means to root a career in something bigger than the scoreboard. Her message resonates deeply with faith-driven audiences and any leader looking to lead with purpose.

Coach CORI CLOSE knows all too well what it means to "show up" no matter the circumstances. In this talk, she discusses the importance of showing up day in and day out when pursuing any goal, through adversity, setbacks, and uncertainty. Drawing from her personal journey to becoming the winningest coach in UCLA Women's Basketball history and, in 2026, a national champion, Close shares how consistency and daily discipline lead to results that show up years later, not overnight. This talk will leave your audience inspired to show up fully in their own lives and careers. 

CORI CLOSE was a 22-year-old assistant coach when she met John Wooden for the first time, and for the next decade and a half, until his death in 2010, the two met nearly every other week at his home to talk basketball and life. In this talk, Close shares what it means to focus on the process and do your very best every single day, principles she learned directly from Coach Wooden himself. She explores how prioritizing growth and effort over outcomes; a lesson that took her fifteen years to fully cash in, is what produced UCLA's first national championship.