PHOENIX – With less than four minutes left in the 2026 NCAA women’s national championship game, UCLA’s Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice were removed from the game, walked to their bench and hugged their head coach Cori Close. Seconds later, senior Gabriela Jaquez hits a 3-point shot to give the Bruins a 79-45 lead. Jaquez then heads to the bench to be replaced, waves her hands in the air to cheer up the UCLA crowd and prepares for a hug with Close. The UCLA student section chanted “MVP, MVP.” In a matchup where they were considered underdogs heading into the game, facing a South Carolina team that was making its fifth national championship appearance since 2017, the Bruins looked anything but on Sunday afternoon in Phoenix, Arizona.
UCLA made history Sunday afternoon at Mortgage Matchup Center, winning its first national championship in program history for the NCAA Tournament era. The Bruins won an AIAW national championship in 1978, led by notable women’s basketball legend Ann Meyers Drysdale.
From the first whistle, UCLA looked like a team focused on a mission. The Bruins were quick in pace, aggressive in defense and shooting. The Gamecocks, on the other hand, had a horrible night of shooting. At halftime, South Carolina shot 26 percent from the field and 1 of 8 from the 3-point line. The Gamecocks finished the game 18 of 62 from the field and 2 of 15 from beyond the arc.
“UCLA had a lot to do with it,” South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said of her team’s shooting woes. “I didn’t think we had to play perfect basketball, but we had to play better. We had to make shots, create offense for our defense. We had to be better defensively, pushing them out of their spots. I think they got where they needed to go. We didn’t apply enough pressure to make an impact on the offensive side of the ball. Because you can have a good defensive possession, but give up an offensive rebound, that’s really deflating.”
Despite flashes of full-court pressure and a switch to zone defense, South Carolina never found a spark and shots never fell. The Gamecocks were also outrebounded 49-37 and had 12 fewer points in the paint compared to UCLA’s 40. With 5 minutes left in the third quarter, UCLA was up by 20 points, and heading into the fourth quarter the Bruins led 61-32.
“UCLA is a quality team with very experienced players who proved themselves in the Final Four last year. You make adjustments. You use that experience as a learning lesson and come back stronger and increase your chances of winning. From last year to this year, they played determined last year, but they played more determined this year. They came very close. They’ve had the experience to do it. They took advantage of it,” Staley said.
The Bruins finished the season with an overall record of 37-1, marking the most wins in a single season for the program. They also finished the season with a 31-game winning streak, the longest in program history.
“The confidence we came out with let us know we were going to win. When we play together, no one can stop us,” Betts said. “No one cares about statistics when you have a ring around your finger.”
Last season, Close’s team lost in the Final Four to eventual national champion UConn, 85-51. Heading into the Final Four games, head coach Close said Thursday that she didn’t celebrate last season and all of her accomplishments enough, but she can do it today. Close said he believed all six of UCLA’s seniors could have been first-team All-Americans on other teams and praised their selflessness in focusing on the goal of winning themselves.
All five Bruins starters scored in double figures and were led by Jaquez, who finished the game with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Angela Dugalic came off the bench contributing nine points, five rebounds and four assists. Betts won the Most Outstanding Player of the 2026 NCAA Women’s Tournament award.
“We said all year that our selflessness and our work ethic would carry us all season long,” Close told ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the game.
UCLA will lose some key pieces from this championship team, and at least four players are expected to be WNBA draft picks. But for now they are celebrating, at least until the transfer portal opens tomorrow. Close joked in the postgame press conference that the win makes the portal easier.
“We had a feeling this was our time and this is our year,” Rice said at the postgame news conference.
For South Carolina, Staley said after the game that this loss can boost his team for next year.
“Losing in the national championship the way we lost, I guess that’s what really motivates us,” Staley said. “You need something to drive you through the really difficult and challenging times, and also the good times.”