The UCLA Bruins women’s basketball team made history on Sunday, April 5, 2026, by capturing their first-ever NCAA women’s basketball national championship with a resounding 79-51 victory over South Carolina at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix. For a program that had come close before but never quite reached the mountaintop, this was the crowning achievement—a culmination of years of building, heartbreak, and relentless pursuit of greatness led by head coach Cori Close and a star-studded senior class.
From the opening tip, the Bruins (37-1) left no doubt about their intentions. Guard Kiki Rice set the tone with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the first quarter, giving UCLA a double-digit 21-10 lead. That early surge was more than just a hot start—it was a statement. South Carolina, themselves a powerhouse and the reigning 2024 champions, entered the matchup with a 36-4 record and plenty of experience on the big stage. But on this day, it was all Bruins, all the way.
“I knew we were going to do it. Coming to UCLA, we all set out for a goal, and I imagined this moment,” said Gabriela Jaquez, who delivered a game-high 21 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. “I imagined it so many times, and I am just so, so proud. ... Crying a lot, the confetti, all of the fans being here to support us, my family being here, it just means everything. Celebrating with this group, like ... I’m so happy.”
The Bruins’ dominance was evident on both ends of the court. Defensively, they locked down the Gamecocks, holding them to just 17% shooting in the opening quarter—South Carolina’s worst offensive quarter of the season. UCLA’s lead ballooned to 36-23 at halftime, and by the end of the third quarter, the margin had swelled to 61-32. The Bruins outscored South Carolina 25-9 in that decisive third frame, with Jaquez accounting for seven points and seemingly everywhere on the court.
Lauren Betts, the 6-foot-7 senior center and Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, was a force in the paint. She contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds, anchoring a defense that made life miserable for the Gamecocks. Betts, who transferred from Stanford in 2023, led the Bruins in scoring in four of their six tournament games and capped her collegiate career with a performance to remember. “It’s immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine,” said head coach Cori Close. “It’s beyond my wildest dreams.”
Close, now in her 15th season at the helm, has transformed UCLA into a perennial contender. Her journey was shaped by mentorship from the legendary John Wooden, whose “Pyramid of Success” became a guiding philosophy for the program. “Coach Wooden always said, ‘You got to do it the way you’re wired to do it, not the way anyone else did.’ And I just tried imperfectly to stay true to that,” Close reflected. The Bruins’ championship run was not just about talent—it was about character, resilience, and the bonds formed over years of shared adversity and triumph.
The senior class, featuring Betts, Jaquez, Rice, Gianna Kneepkens, and Charlisse Leger-Walker, leaves behind a legacy that will be remembered for decades. These players powered UCLA to its first Final Four in 2025, multiple Sweet 16 appearances, and now the ultimate prize—a national championship. All five are projected to be early picks in the upcoming 2026 WNBA Draft, a testament to the depth and quality of the roster.
For South Carolina, the loss marked a second consecutive defeat in the NCAA title game, a tough pill to swallow for a program that has been the gold standard in recent years. The Gamecocks, coached by Dawn Staley, were the 2024 national champions and looked to cement their legacy with a fourth title. But it wasn’t meant to be. “We just didn’t have it today. We tried, but we just didn’t have it today,” Staley admitted. “They were the better team.” Tessa Johnson led South Carolina with 14 points, while Agot Makeer added 11. Senior Raven Johnson, who played in five Final Fours, summed it up: “The score speaks for itself.”
The Bruins’ journey to the championship was nearly flawless. Their only setback came in November, a loss to Texas in a Thanksgiving tournament. From there, UCLA rattled off 31 consecutive victories, including a Final Four win over Texas to avenge their earlier defeat. The Bruins led for all but one minute of the championship game, their relentless pressure and offensive execution overwhelming a South Carolina squad that simply couldn’t keep pace.
The significance of this championship extends beyond Westwood. UCLA’s win marks the first women’s basketball national title for the Big Ten conference in 27 years, with Purdue last claiming the crown in 1999. If Michigan were to win the men’s basketball championship later that same night, the Big Ten would become the first conference since the SEC in 2006-07 to win the football, men’s, and women’s basketball national titles in the same academic year—a remarkable feat that underscores the conference’s resurgence across major sports.
The Bruins’ triumph was celebrated by a raucous crowd in Phoenix, including Jaquez’s brother Jaime, a Miami Heat player and former UCLA men’s basketball standout. The university quickly announced a championship celebration for Wednesday night at Pauley Pavilion, inviting fans, students, and alumni to join in the festivities and honor a team that had, at long last, brought the NCAA trophy home.
For UCLA, this victory is more than just a banner or a ring. It’s the culmination of decades of striving, the realization of a dream that eluded so many great Bruins teams before. “In the end, banners hang in gyms and rings collect dust, and the only thing that lasts is who they become and who they impact. And so, I will always value that most,” Close told CBS LA’s Jaime Maggio. The 2026 Bruins will be remembered not only for their dominance on the court but for the character, unity, and heart that carried them to the summit of college basketball.
As confetti rained down and the team embraced at center court, the message was clear: UCLA women’s basketball has arrived, and this historic championship is just the beginning of a new era in Westwood.