Cori Close, head coach of the UCLA women’s basketball team since 2011, has worked to build a program that demands attention. The No. 4 Bruins have a 12-1 record and are on a six-game winning streak that includes wins over ranked teams. But even though she has done well, it seems Close still has something left to fight for.

After UCLA beat No. 19 Ohio State 82-75 on the road on December 28, Close voiced her disappointment that the big game between two ranked teams didn’t get much coverage from traditional media.

“Honestly, if I’m being really blunt with you, the energy in the building was great, but having no media here at all from either team or either — no AP, no nothing, doesn’t say a lot,” Close said to Royer after the game. “We’re the only double-ranked game out today; the only one in the country, and we had no media day today.”

The lack of attention indeed is a surprising element. The Bruins are ranked in the top five in the country and have been consistent, with their only loss coming against No. 4 Texas in Las Vegas on November 26. Hence, Cori Close, who has always been a strong supporter of the sport’s growth, talked about how the media landscape is changing and pointed out a situation that has never happened before.

“I know that traditional media has changed quite a bit, I just can’t remember a time in my 15 years as a head coach that we had a double-ranked game that had zero press conference and wanted zero quotes from the away team,” she noted.

While that’s that, there is another thing to consider when Ohio State hosted UCLA on Sunday afternoon. The game was broadcast on the Big Ten Network, and since much of the country didn’t have access to it, that didn’t help much. To top that, another large part of the country fixated on Week 17 of the NFL season, and the game flew under the radar.

And if reports from Front Office Sports are to be believed, then at least three local reporters appear to have attended the game in Columbus; there just wasn’t a press conference held for UCLA. The Associated Press sent a freelancer who attended the game in Columbus and even published a story on the same, but she was not present at the media availability with Close.

Even Land-Grant Holy Land writer Thomas Costello posted extensively about the game on Bluesky. He had told the Ohio State SID that he didn’t have any UCLA-specific questions for Close, which could have contributed to the decision not to hold a press conference.

With that, the only way UCLA can now draw attention to women’s basketball is to become undeniable. The Bruins need their stars to play well enough to draw attention. We all saw how Caitlin Clark changed the culture of women’s basketball in a big way with her on and off-court presence.

Earlier this month, ESPN’s SVP of College, Nick Dawson, revealed that when the decision to schedule a men’s or women’s college basketball game in primetime is underway, it is now a “revenue-neutral decision” for the network from an ad sales perspective.

The program doesn’t have to prove anything about how competitive it is, but the bar is still unfairly higher for women’s sports.

UCLA’s on-court excellence demands recognition

The Bruins have played great basketball all season, and their 12-1 record shows how good they are. UCLA is currently on a six-game winning streak, and they’ve beaten ranked teams along the way, which shows how good they are.

The Bruins beat Tennessee and Ohio State by a wide margin (99-77 and 82-75, respectively), showing that they weren’t just trying to win—they were making a strong case for their championship hopes. Every win strengthens its place among the best programs in the country.

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The numbers show that the whole team is working well together as well. UCLA scores an average of 87.6 points per game and shoots 51 percent from the field, which is an offensive efficiency that overwhelms opponents. They only let teams score 55.3 points on defense, which shows how good they are at stopping other teams from scoring.

Their ability to rebound well is what makes them successful. The Bruins grab 44.7 rebounds per game, which helps them control the game and get second chances. With only 11.8 turnovers per game and strict ball security, UCLA plays at a level that makes it tough to beat for anyone.

This leaves us with the question of whether UCLA women’s basketball will get the coverage it deserves.