Tennessee’s Janiah Barker and UCLA Coach Cori Close Share Tense Postgame Handshake

LOS ANGELES — Tennessee Lady Volunteers forward Janiah Barker and UCLA women’s basketball head coach Cori Close experienced a tense moment during the postgame handshake line following their game on Sunday, officials said. Barker, who transferred from UCLA to Tennessee after one season, led the No. 14 Lady Vols with 25 points in 27 minutes. The No. 3 UCLA Bruins won the game by 22 points, 99-77.

As players and coaches exchanged handshakes, Barker pulled her hand away from Close and continued down the line. Close responded by raising her hands and shrugging off the incident. Barker appeared in 36 games during her single season at UCLA, averaging 7.4 points and 6 rebounds per game.

Barker addressed the moment on social media, stating she held no ill will toward Close. “Respect! We shook hands. I wish nothing but the best for Coach (Cori) and my UCLA fam,” she wrote on X. Close also expressed positive sentiments, calling Barker a “spectacular player” and wishing her well moving forward, according to Sports Illustrated.

The handshake-line incident was described as an anomaly by Close. UCLA improved to 8-1 on the season with the victory, while Tennessee’s record fell to 5-2, according to officials. The game took place in Los Angeles on November 30, 2025.

Barker’s transfer from UCLA to Tennessee and the subsequent encounter with her former coach drew attention due to the visible tension during the handshake, though both parties publicly conveyed mutual respect after the game.