Winners, losers as UCLA routs South Carolina for first women’s basketball title

UCLA has made college basketball history.

The No. 1-seeded Bruins routed fellow No. 1 seed South Carolina 79-51 in the women’s NCAA Tournament championship game Sunday, dominating from start to finish.

Led by head coach Cori Close, the Bruins entered with a strong four-woman rotation in Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez and Gianna Kneepkens. All four are possible high picks in the upcoming WNBA draft.

South Carolina, anchored by head coach Dawn Staley, had been led by Joyce Edwards, Ta’Niya Latson, Madina Okot and Tessa Johnson, but the difference in quality was evident with a title on the line.

Let’s analyze the game further with winners and losers:

WINNER: Bruins’ quality shines

Usually the team with the better players will deliver when it matters most (there’s always the exceptions, of course). UCLA, as aforementioned, had the individual quality edge over South Carolina and it was on display from the beginning.

Betts, Kneepkens, Jaquez, Rice and Charlisse Leger-Walker, the fifth starter, all eclipsed double-digit points on efficient shooting. Jaquez led the way with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, Kneepkens added 15 points, Betts posted 14 points and 11 rebounds and Rice and Leger-Walker logged 10 points apiece. They were simply too much to handle.

LOSER: Back-to-back heartbreaks

Last year, the Gamecocks made it all the way to the final before falling to Paige Bueckers-led UConn. That’s an easier pill to swallow, considering she went on to be the top pick and already looks like a WNBA superstar.

But embarking on a second straight journey to the final to lose again is a much bigger pill, regardless of the opponent. On the bright side, Staley is one of the best coaches in the business and has delivered three titles in 2017, 2022 and 2024. But this loss will sting until it’s time to take the court again.

WINNER: Program history

UCLA’s basketball programs have not had any major successes since the turn of the century. The men’s basketball team has 11 NCAA titles to its name, but the last came in 1995. The women’s team had never won the natty.

But that’s now changed, and it took just one chance for them to do it. Last season, the Bruins, with a similar core, fell in the Final Four in a blowout loss to UConn. This time, they made sure not to waste a golden opportunity as the headliners prepare for the next stage of their respective careers. The success and program location should also help recruiting the next batch of possible stars.

LOSER: Gamecocks’ stars struggle

South Carolina did well to upset a UConn side led by Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, exposing their weaknesses to a high level. But doing so against four solid UCLA prospects is a tougher task that consumes more energy, and it didn’t seem the Gamecocks had the legs to last on offense and defense.

Edwards, the No. 1 option, struggled with just eight points on 3 of 10 shooting, while Okot played just 13 minutes and went 3 of 9 for six points. Latson went 1 of 5 for four points, while Johnson led the team with 14 points on a 6 of 12 clip. Agot Makeer chipped in with 11 points in 23 bench minutes.

WINNER: Cori Close, UCLA

Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Head coach Cori Close of the UCLA Bruins celebrates with the trophy after the victory against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the National Championship of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 05, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Close has been the Bruins’ head coach since 2011-12. Fifteen years later, she’s delivered the biggest prize in the competition. The 54-year-old from Milpitas, Calif., won the WNIT in 2014-15, but didn’t get close to tasting championship success until last season’s Final Four run.

But now that the ultimate win is achieved, Close can unlock a new level to her head-coaching arsenal if she optimizes the moment. She also led the Bruins to a remarkable 37-1 record, the lone loss coming to Texas on Nov. 26, a 76-65 defeat. But they got their revenge in the Final Four with a grind-it-out 51-44 win to eventually become champions.

UCLA guard Gabriela Jaquez, fresh off helping the Bruins win the Big Ten tournament title, is embracing her final March Madness run with a tight-knit team and family inspiration from her brother Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr.

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