UCLA wins first women's basketball national title in program history with dominant win over South Carolina

For the archetypal clip successful programme history, the UCLA Bruins are the women’s hoops nationalist champions.

The Bruins took down the South Carolina Gamecocks, the squad led by Dawn Staley that had reached the nationalist rubric crippled 3 consecutive seasons and won it successful 2024, successful ascendant fashion, 79-51.

Staley’s squad did not look similar it did against UConn successful the Final Four, arsenic they couldn’t fig things retired offensively. A batch of that had to bash with suffocating UCLA defense, but the Bruins weren’t having the aforesaid occupation erstwhile they had the shot successful their hands.

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The UCLA Bruins women's hoops squad huddles earlier the NCAA Women's Championship crippled against the South Carolina Gamecocks astatine Mortgage Matchup Center successful Phoenix, Ariz., connected April 4, 2026. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)

By the extremity of the 3rd quarter, the Bruins had a whopping 29-point pb implicit the Gamecocks, 61-32, arsenic UCLA held South Carolina to conscionable 24% shooting from the level compared to their 43%.

In the end, UCLA made 43% of its shots compared to South Carolina's 29%, which is ever the extremity for a squad looking to triumph a title.

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It’s been a agelong clip coming for Close, who has been starring the Bruins since the 2011-12 season. Last play marked the archetypal clip UCLA has been to the Final Four successful the women’s NCAA Tournament arsenic a program, though they fell to the UConn Huskies, 85-51.

Kiki Rice of the UCLA Bruins reacts aft making a three-point handbasket against the South Carolina Gamecocks astatine the extremity of the archetypal 4th successful the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament National Championship astatine Mortgage Matchup Center successful Phoenix, Ariz., connected April 5, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

This time, it was the Bruins getting the occupation done against Texas, 51-44, to unafraid a spot for the nationalist title. Of course, it wasn’t expected to beryllium an casual feat against the Gamecocks, who handled UConn, 62-48, which resulted successful a now-viral speech betwixt Staley and Geno Auriemma astatine midcourt.

However, Close has the close formula, and the Bruins executed it to a tee connected Sunday day to beryllium crowned champions.

All 5 starters for Close finished the crippled with double-digit points, with Gabriela Jaquez, the sister of ex-Bruins men’s hoops prima and existent Miami Heat defender Jaime Jaquez, starring the complaint with 21 connected 8-of-14 shooting. She besides finished with a double-double aft hauling successful 10 rebounds.

Lauren Betts of the UCLA Bruins and Maryam Dauda of the South Carolina Gamecocks vie for presumption during the archetypal 4th of the NCAA women's hoops nationalist title astatine Mortgage Matchup Center successful Phoenix, Ariz., connected April 5, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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Lauren Betts had herself a double-double, too, finishing the crippled with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Gianna Kneepkens (15 points, 4 assists), Charlisse Leger-Walker (10 points, 4 rebounds) and Kiki Rice (10 points, six rebounds, 5 assists) helped the Bruins support the gait against the Gamecocks, who couldn’t get the crippled closer.

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