UCLA Defeats South Carolina 79-51 to Win First NCAA Women's Basketball Championship

Gabriela Jaquez scored 21 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and recorded five assists for UCLA. Lauren Betts added 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Bruins' seniors and graduate students, including Jaquez, who played all four years at UCLA, anchored the team. Jaquez's brother, Jaime Jaquez, a Miami Heat player and UCLA alumnus, attended the game.

South Carolina, which won the 2024 title, suffered its second straight championship loss, ending the season 36-4. Tessa Johnson led the Gamecocks with 14 points, while Agot Makeer scored 11. South Carolina shot 17 percent in the first quarter, its worst of the season, and never closed the gap after UCLA's early lead.

UCLA opened with a 21-10 lead after the first quarter, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Kiki Rice at the buzzer. The Bruins extended the margin to 36-23 at halftime by limiting South Carolina inside and scoring efficiently. In the third quarter, UCLA outscored South Carolina 25-9, starting with a 12-3 run that included five points from Jaquez.

Defensively, UCLA held South Carolina to its lowest scoring output in a title game since Louisiana Tech's 44 points in 1987. The Gamecocks avoided the record lopsided championship loss of 33 points, set by UConn over Louisville in 2013. UCLA's semifinal win over Texas was 51-44, where the Bruins scored just 20 points in the first half before improving offensively in the final.

“It’s immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine. It’s beyond my wildest dreams.”

UCLA coach Cori Close, in her 15th season, built the roster through high school recruits and transfers. Close credited the team's character and connectivity for the success, referencing pre-game remarks about talent as the floor and character as the ceiling. She was mentored by UCLA men's coach John Wooden, adopting his Pyramid of Success principles.

South Carolina, coached by Dawn Staley, returns key players including Joyce Edwards and Agot Makeer, along with recruits like Maddy McDaniel. The Gamecocks are projected as a top team for 2026-27, potentially reaching a seventh straight Final Four if transfers like Chloe Kitts and Ashlynn Watkins return healthy.

UCLA loses its top six scorers, including Jaquez and Betts, prompting Close to pursue transfer portal additions. Early 2026-27 rankings exclude UCLA pending offseason moves, while South Carolina, Texas and UConn are favored to contend, led by returnees Joyce Edwards, Madison Booker and Sarah Strong.

The transfer portal opens Monday, impacting rosters across programs like Iowa State, Georgia and Tennessee.