Sports

Tennessee Women’s Basketball Transfer Denies Cori Close Snub After Awkward Handshake Creates Drama

#Women's College Basketball
by Last Updated
Janiah Barker snubs old coach Cori Close after UCLA-Tennessee game.

© Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images / © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images


The UCLA women’s basketball team beat Tennessee soundly in non-conference action on Sunday, 99-77. Vols forward Janiah Barker made headlines after the fact.

She created drama by pulling away from Bruins coach Cori Close during an awkward exchange in the postgame handshake line. Barker later rejected the narrative that stemmed from that interaction.

Barker and Close have history. The two were on the same team in 2024 in Los Angeles.

Barker transferred to UCLA as a junior after spending two seasons at Texas A&M.

With the Aggies, she started 27 games as a sophomore while averaging 12.2 points per contest. Her numbers declined significantly after joining the Bruins.

Last year, Barker was relegated to bench duty. Her playing time decreased by nine minutes per game. She made only three starts and saw her scoring decline to just 7.4 points per night.

UCLA made the Final Four. Still, Barker chose to leave for a better opportunity as a senior.

Janiah Barker signed with Tennessee.

She transferred into Knoxville this offseason in search of a strong finish. To this point, she’s achieved that goal. Through seven games, she’s more than doubled her number of starts from the year prior.

She’s also averaging a career best 16.6 points per game on 49.4% shooting.

Her most recent matchup was meaningful. Barker returned to her old school in a road trip to Los Angeles. She shined in that outing, scoring a team-high 25 points.

Unfortunately, the final outcome wasn’t what was hoped for. The Vols fell by 22 points. They’ll return home with their second loss of the season.

Janiah Barker appeared to have little interest in reuniting with her old coach after that loss.

Did Barker snub Cori Close?

Video from the handshake line showed Barker pulling away from Close as the two crossed paths. The awkward interaction sparked an immediate reaction on social media.

Was there beef between Barker and her former coach? If so, why?

A narrative soon formed around the apparent snub online – Janiah Barker does not like Cori Close.

Motivations behind the supposed hate could stem from Barker’s diminished playing time at UCLA. Maybe something happened behind closed doors in her negotiations with the Bruins prior to her transfer decision.

We don’t know the intent behind the snub. The optics weren’t great. Barker did her best to clarify after seeing the moment go viral.

Barker denied the narrative. She has nothing but respect for her old coach. It still doesn’t provide reasoning for her initial reaction.

Some speculate that Close went in for a hug. Barker wanted none of it. That, too, though would suggest there’s some sort of animosity.

We may never get a clear explanation. For what it’s worth, Close was complimentary of Barker after the game.

“I just said, one of the things I’m always going to appreciate about you is how hard you always worked on her game.

“She’s a great player, explosive.”

-Cori Close

UCLA got the best of Barker and Co. in this matchup. Maybe we’ll see Round 2 in the NCAA Tournament. If so, this awkward moment will be sure to resurface.