UCLA secured its first ever NCAA women’s title after the Bruins dominated South Carolina in Sunday’s national championship game.
Led by superstars Lauren Betts and Gabriela Jaquez, the Bruins secured a 79-51 victory over the Gamecocks, sparking emotional celebrations among Cori Close’s players.
It is the program’s first title in the NCAA era and the first time since 1978 that UCLA has ruled women’s basketball.
On Sunday in Phoenix, Arizona, Close’s team finished the season with a program-record 31st consecutive win.
Jaquez scored 21 points and Betts added 16 as UCLA routed Dawn Staley’s South Carolina team.
The near-record lopsided victory completed the Bruins’ journey through this year´s March Madness that started following a loss to UConn in last season’s Final Four.
UCLA secured its first ever NCAA women’s title after the Bruins dominated South Carolina
The Bruins ran through their opponents this season with their only loss coming in November to Texas in a Thanksgiving tournament.
UCLA (37-1) was led by Betts and her fellow seniors and graduate students, like Jaquez – who played all four years with the Bruins.
She also had 10 rebounds and five assists in front of her brother Jaime, who plays for the Miami Heat and flew in to attend the game to watch his alma mater win.
The group that coach Close put together through a combination of high school commitments and transfer portal players capped off their stellar careers with a championship.
The title is UCLA’s first since winning the 1978 AIAW championship, which was the postseason tournament for women’s basketball before the NCAA took over in 1982.
The championship game loss was the second straight for the Gamecocks, who won the title in 2024.
Dawn Staley and her Gamecocks (36-4) will be favored to return to the game´s biggest stage with a talented group of returnees, led by Joyce Edwards and Agot Makeer.
