Some chapters are harder to close than others. In the NIL era, players transferring from one college to another has become almost routine, and it’s usually the fans who end up heartbroken. But every now and then, the players feel the sting of it, too. That’s exactly the sense people got when Janiah Barker faced off against Cori Close and the UCLA Bruins — the team she was part of just last season.

Barker, who now plays for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, ended up on the losing side — which has been the story for most teams facing UCLA this season. The Bruins rolled to a 99–77 win, but the final score wasn’t what everyone was talking about. Instead, it was the moment shared between Cori Close and her former player after the game that took the internet by storm.

When both teams lined up pos

See Full Page