It was November. South Carolina was flying high, fresh off a dominant win over Clemson (77-45) to extend its program-record winning streak to 43 games. And then came UCLA. Cori Close and Co. walked and delivered a message loud and clear. By halftime, they had built a staggering 21-point lead. When the final buzzer sounded, the Bruins had handed South Carolina a 77-62 loss that wasn’t nearly as close as the score suggested. 

Just like that, one of the biggest storylines of the season—whether Dawn Staley and her squad could go undefeated—was shut down before it could even take off. “We have a phrase in our program that ‘it begins before it begins.’ There was never a doubt. We prepared like we expected to win,” Close said after the win. 

And she wasn’t wrong. That night, the Bruins proved their worth making us realize that this is going to be one of the most thrilling and unpredictable seasons in recent memory. As the season continued, two teams emerged as headline grabbers—UCLA and TCU. Fans love a surprise, but nothing prepared them for the shock they felt when the Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s Coach of the Year award was announced on April 2. The finalists were Mark Campbell (TCU), Cori Close (UCLA), Lindsay Gottlieb (USC), and, of course, Dawn Staley. Eventually, the honor went to Cori Close, breaking Staley’s three-year reign over the award. And while it might have stung for Staley, South Carolina fans weren’t the loudest voices in the outrage. That belonged to the TCU faithful, who were in absolute disbelief that Mark Campbell wasn’t named Coach of the Year. But before we tell you about that, why exactly did Cory make it? Wait, let’s rephrase that: Did others really fall short despite being deserving like fans allege?

For starters, Close led the Bruins to a historic 34-2 season, their first-ever Final Four appearance, and a program-record 23 consecutive wins. UCLA spent 12 straight weeks as the No. 1 team in the country and secured the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Not just that, the coach also become the first head coach in program history to reach 300-career wins at 321, also becoming the all-time winningest coach. Close also has a program-best .693 winning percentage, and captured UCLA’s first conference tournament title in 19 years after defeating the No. 1 seed USC Trojans (72-67) in the 2025 TIAA Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament. 

Notably, Close is the first female UCLA HC, and the sixth Big Ten coach (since 2019) to win the Naismith Award. The 53-year-old reportedly received 16 votes from a 31-member national media panel, with TCU’s Campbell finishing second with five votes, Vic Schafer (who guided Texas to a first Final Four appearance since 2003) received three votes, while Kentucky’s Kenny Brooks received two. Talking about Close’s win, WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew had said, “Cori Close has excelled as a student-athlete, assistant coach, head coach, USA Basketball coach, and president of the WBCA. She has given her time and talent to this game and the coaching profession for many years. Cori has demonstrated in many ways her love for her student-athletes and her coaching peers. The WBCA family of coaches is awarding Cori the WBCA Coach of the Year for her excellence in coaching her UCLA team this year. This is the ultimate compliment from her peers.” 

Notably, her honor comes a few weeks after being named the USBWA Coach of the Year. On the contrary, there was four-time (2020, 2022–2024) Naismith winner South Carolina’s Dawn Staley who led the nominee list till the very last moment. As per reports, Staley led the South Carolina Gamecocks to a 30-3 regular season and tournament titles for the third consecutive season, and an overall seventh time in the past 11 seasons. Not just that, the team have 12 wins over ranked opponents by an average of 20 points each. Notably, a 2025 win for Staley would tie her with Hall of Famer Pat Summitt for second-most COTY win, behind only Geno Auriemma (1995, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017).

NCAA, College League, USA Womens Basketball: NCAA Tournament Birmingham Regional-Elite 8 Texas vs TCU Mar 31, 2025 Birmingham, AL, USA TCU Horned Frogs head coach Mark Campbell works with guard Hailey Van Lith 10 during the second half of an Elite 8 NCAA Tournament basketball game against the Texas Longhorns at Legacy Arena. Birmingham Legacy Arena AL USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xVashaxHuntx 20250331_cec_hd1_097But then there’s Campbell…

Mark Campbell robbed? Fans certainly think so 

“RIGGED! Mark Campbell is my COTY,” a fans wrote on X. We can’t deny that this was the greatest basketball season by every measure that TCU has seen. The Horned Frogs not only set a school record for total wins, but they also became the first basketball team in TCU history—men’s or women’s—to reach the Elite Eight. They went toe-to-toe with powerhouse Texas and, despite falling short, exceeded all expectations. Even before the award was announced, fans flooded social media with support for Campbell, convinced he was the rightful winner.

“How did Mark Campbell not win this award? WBB constantly shooting itself in the foot,” another added. The fact is that this isn’t the first time fans have been frustrated with the Naismith Coach of the Year decision. Just last year, Staley won the award for the third consecutive time, sparking a debate about whether Iowa’s Lisa Bluder was more deserving. Now, history is repeating itself, with many believing Campbell was robbed of his moment.

A writer for the Horned Frogs chimed in saying, “Mark Campbell doesn’t win the Naismith COTY the year award. The greatest story in WBB this season, gathering 90% of the fan vote, wasn’t enough. #TCU was hand constructed by MC, built from quite literally the ground up. Throw the entire award away. Voters should be ashamed.”  The 2024-25 Big 12 Coach of the Year led a turnaround that seemed impossible just two years ago.

TCU won its first-ever Big 12 regular-season and tournament championships, secured a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament (its highest in program history), and reached a program-best No. 6 ranking in the AP Poll. This was the same program that, just last year, was holding open tryouts due to a depleted roster and went 1-17 in the Big 12. Hence, this fan targeted the jury directly.

Another opined, “Mark Campbell was BETTER this year. The turnaround was INSANE.” Mostly because Campbell’s impact wasn’t just about winning games. When he took over, TCU had won just 24 games combined in the previous three seasons. The program was in shambles, winning under 29% of games played. But with the backing of the university and its boosters, Campbell worked the transfer portal like a master, bringing in stars like Sedona Prince, Madison Conner, and Hailey Van Lith.

Also, he did more than just coaching. He was there for them every step of the way, on and off the court. So, this wasn’t an overnight fluke, it was years in the making, and this season was supposed to be his crowning achievement.

“Mark Campbell not exist or something??????” It certainly felt that way to fans. While Close was rightfully recognized for her team’s dominance, Campbell’s omission from the award felt like an oversight of historic proportions. However, many believed the only reason could be that Bruins are still in the race, heading to Tampa for Final Four while Horned Frogs’ season came to an end in Elite Eight.

But, for now, if there’s any consolation for TCU fans, it’s this—Campbell isn’t going anywhere. He just signed an extension that keeps him in Fort Worth through 2030, ensuring that this season wasn’t just a one-time miracle. Sure, Van Lith and other seniors will move on, but the foundation has been laid. Maybe Mark Campbell’s winning era is only beginning. And next time, the voters might not have a choice but to acknowledge it.