UCLA women’s basketball is adding a new member to its coaching staff.
On Wednesday, Aug. 5, the program announced former WNBA head coach Noelle Quinn would join head coach Cori Close’s staff before the 2026-2027 season. Quinn played guard at UCLA and was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2007 WNBA draft, spending 12 years in the league. During her time as a pro, she played for five teams and won a championship in 2018 with the Seattle Storm.
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Quinn became a Seattle assistant coach in 2019. She was promoted to an associate head coach in 2020 before securing the head coaching job in 2021. Quinn was with the Storm for five seasons, amassing a 97-89 record and winning the 2021 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup title.
“I’m just honored to be on Cori’s staff, to be able to add value, but also to learn from a championship-level coach whose servant leadership is on full display every day,” Quinn said via release. “From how she coaches her team, to how she leads with her staff, (to) how she pours into the community, she is one of the best leaders that I’ve seen, and I’m just happy to be able to be in her hemisphere every day.”
Quinn’s signing with UCLA marks a homecoming for the former Bruin. Quinn spent four seasons at UCLA (2003-2007) and finished her Bruins career ranked top 10 in 14 different categories, including points (4th), rebounds (8th) and assists (7th). She twice earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors.
“We are so excited to welcome Noelle back home,” Close said. “She has won championships in college and the WNBA as a player, and she has helped capture a WNBA championship as a coach. Tactically and developmentally, she is elite! But I am most excited about who she is and how she will help us create champions from the inside out.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UCLA women’s basketball adds former WNBA head coach, champion to staff
