The UCLA Bruins made history on April 5, defeating South Carolina 79-51 in Phoenix to win the program's first-ever NCAA women's basketball championship. The 28-point victory was one of the most dominant title-game performances in tournament history.
Head coach Cori Close, who has built UCLA into a perennial powerhouse over the past decade, finally broke through to claim the program's elusive first national title. The Bruins' suffocating defense held the Gamecocks — who entered the game as defending champions — to just 51 points, their lowest output of the season.
Senior center Lauren Betts anchored the effort on both ends, delivering a clutch late-game block on Texas transfer Madison Booker that sealed the semifinal victory over South Carolina's fierce roster. The Bruins' balanced attack, with four players scoring in double figures, proved too much for Dawn Staley's squad.
The 2026 tournament featured an all-No. 1 seed Final Four for the fifth time in women's tournament history. UCLA cruised past Texas in the semifinal before dismantling South Carolina in the championship game. The Bruins outscored their opponents by an average of 22 points per game throughout the tournament.
For UCLA, a university synonymous with basketball greatness — the men's program has 11 national titles, including the legendary John Wooden era — the women's championship adds a new chapter to Westwood's storied legacy. Coach Close, who played at UCLA in the early 1990s, called it "a dream 30 years in the making."
The victory also marks a milestone for the Big Ten Conference, which UCLA joined in 2024. It's the program's first conference tournament championship and national title as a Big Ten member, signaling that the Bruins' move from the Pac-12 has done nothing to slow their ascent.
The win caps a remarkable 34-2 season for the Bruins, who went on a 19-game winning streak to close out the year. With several key contributors expected to return next season, UCLA is already being penciled in as a preseason favorite to repeat in 2027.
