No. 1-seed UCLA women’s basketball team defeated No. 1-seed South Carolina 79-51 to win its first-ever NCAA Championship on Sunday afternoon
The UCLA Bruins women’s basketball team had worked toward this goal for decades, enduring highs and lows, growing expectations, and the long shadow of multiple near-misses in the pursuit of their first NCAA championship. The wait was over on Sunday afternoon.
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The Bruins finally made their breakthrough with a commanding 79–51 victory over the formidable South Carolina Gamecocks (36–4) at the Mortgage Matchup Centre in Phoenix. This victory marked UCLA’s 126th NCAA team title overall and the program’s first in the NCAA era.
Their 28-point triumph completed a legendary run in which the Bruins went 37-1, winning both the Big Ten tournament and the regular season championship before defeating five opponents to advance to the tournament finals, including a 51-44 victory over the Texas Longhorns in the Final Four to exact revenge for their lone defeat of the year.
The team, which is captained by seniors, received accolades from head coach Cori Close, the Big Ten Coach of the Year, who explained that their general mentality has helped them reach this point.
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UCLA’s victory helped the women’s basketball program secure its second national title and its first NCAA women’s basketball title. UCLA had a 61-32 lead going into the last frame.
Before Kneepkens added two from the free throw line, Jaquez stripped the Gamecocks and scored two points in transition.
Rice reached the rack and made a layup to become the fifth starter in double figures. After the fourth-quarter media break, the seniors continued to pour it on: Dugalic, Jaquez, and Betts all made baskets to increase UCLA’s lead to 35.
When the final buzzer went out, UCLA was up by 28 points, and the Bruins won their first-ever NCAA national title. The Bruins finished 2025–26 with a perfect 18-0 record in Big Ten play and a 37-1 overall record.
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