An interaction between Tennessee forward Janiah Barker and UCLA head coach Cori Close went viral after the Bruins vs. Lady Vols game on Sunday. Barker, who spent her junior year at UCLA under Close after playing for Texas A&M her first two seasons, transferred to Tennessee for the 2025-26 season.
Recently, she made an emotional return to her former home ground and led the Lady Vols with 25 points and three rebounds. However, it was the postgame moment with her former coach that got more spotlight on social media.
Janiah Barker Clears the Air on Cori Close Handshake Drama
The moment in question came during the postgame handshake line. Barker stepped up to greet Close, but was then seen to move her hand away and walk on. The awkward scenario naturally blew up on the internet. Speculations spread like wildfire, with fans suspecting bad blood between the two.
However, the claim made by several internet posts that Barker supposedly refused to shake Close’s hand is false. The video clearly shows that Barker and Close shook hands.
After that, Close went in for an embrace, but Barker did not. She shook her head and went ahead. Close shrugged and smiled, and continued through the line.
Due to the way the circulating videos have been edited, as well as the captions used by several outlets, fans were led to believe that Barker was disrespectful towards her former coach. Some fans missed the detail and slammed Barker. Others noticed it and called it out.
“Horrible act by the player. The coach has done nothing but speak highly of her since she left,” said one fan. “Bad sportsmanship,” said another.
A third corrected, “They shook hands, the coach wanted a hug, it looks like.” One more pointed out, “She clearly shakes her hand in the video. She avoided the hug.”
Another assumption was that Barker was still unhappy about getting fewer minutes on the court during her time at UCLA. “That’s what happens when you promise a player everything and don’t deliver,” wrote a fan.
Facing such backlash, Barker decided to take to social media and clear things up.
“Respect! We shook hands. I wish nothing but the ebst for Coach Cori and my UCLA fam,” Barker wrote.
Many fans were in her support, stating that she had every right to refuse an embrace. Others thought the way she pulled away was still disrespectful, especially with how highly Close had spoken about her before and after the game.
In the postgame press conference, the UCLA head coach revealed that she had written a card to Barker, along with the Final Four ring UCLA gave her.
