| Women’s Basketball |
|---|
| South Carolina — 51 |
| UCLA — 79 |
They couldn’t have dreamed a better ending.
As chants of “U, C, L, A!” rang around a sold out Mortgage Matchup Center in the waning minutes of the 2026 women’s basketball season, what the arena had suspected since the first quarter was solidifying in reality — the UCLA Bruins were the national champions.
For the players, however, it was evident all season long. This weekend only confirmed it.
“I think right from the beginning, right when we all got on campus, we knew that this group was going to be special,” said senior guard Kiki Rice. “We get after it and compete at a high level, but we also love each other. That was the culture we created from day one, the culture that everyone was so willing to buy into.”
For the first time in program history, the No. 1 seed UCLA Bruins (37-1, 18-0 Big Ten) stand atop the mountain as NCAA National Champions, triumphing over No. 1 seed South Carolina (36-4, 15-1 SEC) in a 79-51 blowout on Sunday afternoon in Phoenix.
Playing in their first ever NCAA championship, the Bruins never trailed against the Gamecocks, who were making their third consecutive title game appearance. The Bruins dominated in every facet en route to the third-largest margin of victory in Division I championship history.
South Carolina, meanwhile, less than 48 hours removed from the upset of the year over No. 1 UConn, never looked up to speed. The Gamecocks struggled to finish around the rim, as they were held to a season-low points total and shot a disappointing 29% from the field.
UCLA’s balanced attack included all five starters scoring in double digits, representing a massive shift from the semifinal against Texas, where both teams struggled mightily to maintain any offensive rhythm.
Straight from the tip, the Bruins were aided by their defense containing South Carolina to its worst offensive output all year, as coach Dawn Staley’s crew went 3-18 on field goals in the first quarter, and 9-35 by halftime for a meager 23 points.
On shutting down the Gamecocks, senior center Lauren Betts said, “I think it starts with that perimeter pressure. Our guards did a really good job of just making it difficult for them. I think once we get stops, they’re just not able to do what they want to do.”
In a day where everything came up blue and gold, the Bruins kept their foot on the gas and exploded for a 25-9 third quarter, burying any prospects of a competitive final. The Bruins continued to push the lead to as large as 35 in the final period.
For coach Cori Close and her six seniors, a class that scored every point for UCLA in the semifinal and final games, a national title is the perfect cherry on top of a spectacular season. It is especially sweet for Rice and fellow senior guard Gabriela Jaquez, who have spent their entire collegiate careers in Westwood amidst an era of constant transfers and NIL deals.
“I just remember coming in as freshmen, being in Cori’s office, having the conversations of this is where we want to get to, we want to win national championships, play in Final Fours,” said Rice. “To know we gave it our all, this is where it ended up. It’s really rewarding because this is a special group of people.”
A southern California native from Camarillo, Jaquez was the star of the day for UCLA after finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, winning over the UCLA-heavy crowd in Phoenix with countless instances of heart and hustle.
“Coming in my freshman year, my dream was to be at UCLA,” Jaquez emphasized. “I’m just super, super proud of this whole group, everyone in the program, for always believing. Job’s finished, job is finished.”
Whether she was crashing the offensive glass and sparking her team in the first quarter, fighting to rip away an offensive rebound up by 31 with less than three minutes remaining or beating the shot clock and draining a three in front of the UCLA stands, Jaquez’s work was rewarded with “MVP” chants when she exited the game.
Also in those stands was Jaquez’s brother, Jaime, current forward for the Miami Heat and a UCLA basketball alumnus with Final Four experience himself.
Rice missed her first three field goals, reflective of her recent slower starts to games. Yet she knocked down a huge step-back buzzer, beating three at the end of the first quarter before finishing with 10 points and dishing five assists, always a player for the big moments.
Betts turned in a double double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Betts was awarded Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament during the trophy presentation. Betts also overcame a few trivial mid-game distractions, including a throat issue that temporarily sidelined her in the first half and having to wear a new #26 jersey after staining her trademark #51 with blood.
“It hasn’t been an easy journey, but the way these people have truly embraced me for everything that I bring and continue to love me, like, I love UCLA so much and I love these girls.”
Betts, Rice and Jaquez were named to the NCAA 2026 All-Tournament Team, along with South Carolina’s Ta’Niya Latson and Tessa Johnson, who led the Gamecocks in scoring with 14 points.
Graduate guards Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker also ended their only full seasons in Westwood as national champions. Kneepkens logged 15 points and flashed her offensive bag through midrange fadeaways mixed with three crowd popping triples. Leger-Walker, two years removed from the ACL tear that prompted her transfer to UCLA, bounced back from a scoreless semifinal to drop 10 points and nail two threes.
“I knew she (Kneepkens) was a competitor. I knew she would work her tail off. I didn’t know she was as funny as she is. I didn’t know she was going to fit in so seamlessly off the court,” added Close on Kneepkens’ contributions.
Graduate forward Angela Dugalić, despite earning four fouls midway through the third quarter, added nine points, five rebounds and four assists off the bench.
After 15 seasons at the helm, Close has finally captured a national championship in her first attempt. Close completed the revival of a program that had been eluding a national title since the 1978 Bruins won the AIAW championship, before the NCAA’s takeover of college athletics.
UCLA concluded its season on a program record 31 game win streak, with November’s loss to Texas the only blemish on an otherwise perfect run.
All season long, however, Close has preached the importance of self-development and character growth over basketball success.
Now, she can comfortably say her team has succeeded in all of it.
“It’s not about me. It’s about watching these incredible young women be dream chasers, to watch them grow in ways that they will remember and it will stick with them for the rest of their lives … I said I wanted to find uncommon, courageous women that were willing to make uncommon choices that maybe possibly could yield an uncommon result and today it did.”
