A month after leading UCLA to a national championship, Cori Close received a contract extension.
The new deal runs through the 2029–30 season and includes a salary bump that makes her one of women’s basketball’s highest-paid coaches, according to multiple reports. But the contract, obtained by Front Office Sports, also details payment terms if Close chooses to leave UCLA for the WNBA.
Section 14 of Close’s contract, “Termination By Coach,” states that she must pay liquidated damages to UCLA if she decides to leave before the end of the deal. The amount ranges from $500,000 to $2 million, depending on the timing of the possible contract termination.
However, if Close decides to leave for a WNBA head coaching position, she, or the WNBA franchise that hires her, will only need to pay a quarter of the damages. The contract says:
“University acknowledges and agrees that Coach, or a WNBA Club on Coach’s behalf, shall owe twenty five percent (25%) of the applicable Coach Liquidated Damages in the event Coach terminates her employment to accept a head coaching position in the WNBA.”
