UCLA has won its first NCAA women's basketball national championship. The Bruins defeated South Carolina 79-51 in the title game on Sunday in Phoenix.
Gabriela Jaquez scored 21 points, and Lauren Betts added 16 points for UCLA. This victory achieved a goal the team set after losing in the Final Four last season.
"I knew we were going to do it," Jaquez said. "Coming to UCLA, we all set out for a goal, and I imagined this moment."
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Start Your News DetoxA Dominant Season
UCLA finished the season with a 37-1 record. Their only loss was to Texas in November. Coach Cori Close described the win as "immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine."
Betts, a 6-foot-7 senior, was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. She had 10 rebounds and five assists in the championship game. Jaquez, who played all four years at UCLA, also contributed 10 rebounds and five assists.
The team's success came from a mix of high school recruits and transfer portal players. Coach Close emphasized the team's "connectivity" and "attention to detail." She told her team that their talent was a baseline, but their character would determine their ultimate success.
This championship is UCLA's first since winning the AIAW championship in 1978. The AIAW was the women's basketball postseason tournament before the NCAA took over in 1982.
South Carolina's Challenge
This was South Carolina's second consecutive loss in the championship game. They had won the title in 2024. Coach Dawn Staley noted that UCLA was a "quality team with very experienced players" who made adjustments after their previous Final Four appearance.
UCLA's defense was strong, similar to their 51-44 semifinal win over Texas. Offensively, the Bruins started strong, scoring 21 points in the first quarter. South Carolina struggled, shooting 17% in the first quarter, their worst of the season.
UCLA extended its lead to 36-23 by halftime. They then opened the third quarter with a 12-3 run, putting the game out of reach. Jaquez scored five points during this run.
"We just didn't have it today," Staley said. "They were the better team."
South Carolina avoided the most lopsided loss in championship history. Tessa Johnson led the Gamecocks with 14 points, and Agot Makeer added 11.
Coach Close's Inspiration
Coach Close has been at UCLA for 15 seasons. She was mentored by legendary UCLA men's coach John Wooden. Their bond began when she was 22 and he was 83. Close adopted Wooden's "Pyramid of Success" and his focus on character, which has now led to a national championship.
"Coach Wooden always said, 'You got to do it the way you're wired to do it, not the way anyone else did,'" Close said. "And I just tried imperfectly to stay true to that."
