UCLA dominates South Carolina, 79-51, to claim first women’s basketball title

For the first time in program history, the UCLA Bruins are national champions in women’s basketball.

The Bruins defeated the Dawn Staley-led South Carolina Gamecocks, who have reached the national championship game three seasons in a row and won 79-51 in dominant fashion in 2024.

Staley’s squad didn’t look the same as it did against UConn in the Final Four because they couldn’t figure things out on offense. Most of this had to do with the UCLA defense being stifling, but the Bruins didn’t have the same problem with the ball in their hands.

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At the end of the third quarter, the Bruins were ahead by 29 points, 61-32, over the Gamecocks; UCLA was holding South Carolina to just 24% shooting from the field compared to 43% shooting.

Ultimately, UCLA made 43% of its shots while South Carolina had 29%, which is always the goal of a team looking to win a championship.

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It took a long time for Close, who has been the coach of the Bruins since the 2011-12 season, to arrive. Last season, UCLA reached the Final Four as a program in the women’s NCAA Tournament for the first time, but lost to the UConn Huskies, 85-51.

Kiki Rice of the UCLA Bruins reacts after making a three-pointer late in the first quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament National Championship on April 5, 2026 at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

This time, the Bruins secured a spot for the national championship with a 51-44 win over Texas. Of course, this wasn’t expected to be an easy feat against the Gamecocks, who defeated UConn 62-48, resulting in a now-viral exchange between Staley and Geno Auriemma at midfield.

But Close has the right formula, and the Bruins applied it to a starting point to become champions on Sunday afternoon.

All five of Close’s starters finished the game in double figures; Gabriela Jaquez, former Bruins men’s basketball star and sister of current Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez, led the offense with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting. He also recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds.

Lauren Betts of the UCLA Bruins and Maryam Dauda of the South Carolina Gamecocks jockey for position in the first quarter of the NCAA women’s national basketball championship at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona on April 5, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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Lauren Betts also recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Gianna Kneepkens (15 points, 4 assists), Charlisse Leger-Walker (10 points, 4 rebounds) and Kiki Rice (10 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) helped the Bruins keep the pace against the Gamecocks, who could not get close to the game.

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