⏪ How UCLA won its first NCAA title

06.04.2026, 16:56 espn.com

Forty-eight years ago, the UCLA women's basketball team won the AIAW national championship.

On Sunday, the Bruins are finally national champions again. UCLA won its first NCAA title, beating fellow No. 1 seed South Carolina 79-51. After getting blown out in last year's Final Four, the Bruins went 37-1 in 2025-26 and closed the season on a 31-game winning streak.

The Bruins, led by six seniors, never trailed Sunday. They opened a double-digit lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. All-American senior center Lauren Betts had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Gabriela Jaquez had 10 rebounds to go with a team-high 21 points.

Andrea Adelson, Kareem Copeland, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel were courtside providing live updates throughout Sunday's game. Here's how UCLA won the title.

Relive Sunday's action

How UCLA won the NCAA championship: The Bruins looked not at all like they were appearing in their first NCAA title game. Take your pick of statistics to show just how dominant they were: They shot 8-for-19 from deep, held the Gamecocks to 29% shooting, bested them 49-37 on the glass and 40-28 in the paint -- all uncharacteristic to see from a South Carolina squad.

The game was over in the third quarter as UCLA used a 25-9 run to put away the Gamecocks for good, nearly doubling them up by the end of the period, when the score was 61-32.

All five starters finished in double figures for the Bruins, though no one might have been as special as Gabriela Jaquez, who became just the fifth player to finish with 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a national title game (joining Sarah Strong, Breanna Stewart, Chamique Holdsclaw and Dawn Staley). Lauren Betts was also dominant inside with 14 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Her interior defense also limited the Gamecocks to 7-for-18 shooting when contested by her.

In short: It didn't matter that it was the championship game, that the Gamecocks had been here before and the Bruins had not, or that some people still doubted UCLA could finally get over the hump. They played their basketball and took down the three-time champs in the process. -- Philippou

What was the best moment in the title game?

Philippou: With 3:46 remaining in the contest, Betts and Kiki Rice exited to a standing ovation from UCLA fans and hugged coach Cori Close on the sideline. Shortly after, Jaquez drained a 3-pointer to put the Bruins up by 34. She amped up the crowd on her way off the floor and hugged Close, too. It was special for those three pillars of the program -- all seniors heading onto the WNBA -- to have that moment exiting the floor for the final time.

There were several touching moments from the postgame celebration, too, but I liked the note Jaquez ended things on when ESPN's Holly Rowe asked her who this group decided to be this season.

Jaquez: "We decided to be national champions."

Voepel: It might not have been the most compelling game for the audience because the score was so lopsided. But it did give the Bruins a chance to reflect in real time, while still on the floor and the bench together, about what they accomplished. In those closing moments of the seniors' college careers, you could see the emotion on their faces.

"Everybody has their individual stories of what they went through," said senior Angela Dugalic, one of several Bruins who faced major injuries in their careers. She sat out 2022-23 with an ACL tear.

"We went through highs and lows together, and we stuck together," she said. "I think that's what got us here."

Copeland: With the stage cleared out after the trophy presentation, Betts, Jaquez and Charlisse Leger-Walker broke out their now-famous choreographed dance. The three seniors joined the UCLA dance team for a halftime routine during a men's game against Nebraska in early March. This time, with confetti covering every inch of the stage, Close watching from the background and the championship trophy perched just feet away, the trio re-created the entire routine. The first time, they sported custom dance team regalia. This time, they rocked 2026 championship shirts and hats. The UCLA faithful roared throughout.

"We're such a close group of girls, I'm going to miss them so much," Betts said.

Gabriela Jaquez hits a 3-pointer to pad the UCLA lead.

Who was the pivotal player?

Philippou: Jaquez (team-high 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, one steal) had a deserving case for the Most Outstanding Player award. She was already considered an exciting WNBA prospect before the NCAA tournament, but it wouldn't be shocking if talent evaluators are even higher on her now.

Copeland: Jaquez was the player of the game, but Betts was a problem on both ends of the floor. She finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two blocks with just one turnover. She was an efficient 6-for-10, was unbothered when double-teams came and was a rim protector on the other end. Betts played a huge role in UCLA winning the rebounding battle (49-37), points in the paint (40-28) and second-chance points (25-12).

"She's a very dominant player," South Carolina guard Tessa Johnson said. "She's pretty consistent and effective. I mean, that's hard to scout. We just tried to limit her."

Voepel: Like Alexa wrote, Jaquez was on fire from the tip. She is the native Southern Californian of the UCLA group and said this title was for the folks from that area.

"People from the 805, they always come to the games and tell me I'm representing them well," she said. "It really does mean everything to me. The fans have watched me and my brother [former UCLA and current NBA player Jaime Jaquez Jr.] for so long, and they feel so connected to us."

She said coming into the Final Four, she was trying to calm herself down because she was so hyped up. She was crushed by last year's national semifinal loss and was eager for the Bruins to redeem themselves.

"I've never wanted something more," she said. "I wanted to be a national champion so bad."

What was the pivotal moment?

Philippou: The third quarter, when the Bruins outscored the Gamecocks 25-9 to put the game away. It was uncharacteristic to see South Carolina not really have a response after halftime, when the Gamecocks were down only 13 and the game was theoretically still within reach. But Betts gave UCLA its first 20-point lead of the night at the 6:04 mark, and the Gamecocks didn't play with the sort of fight suggesting they were capable of making a large comeback.

Copeland: With two seconds remaining in the first quarter, Rice buried a triple that put UCLA up 21-10. The degree of difficulty was high as she faded away while trying to make sure the shot got off in time. At that moment, the rout was officially on as Bruins fans erupted in the stands. No one knew at the time that UCLA would never trail throughout the entire 40 minutes.

Voepel: Leger-Walker was rehabbing a knee injury as she sat out last season and couldn't help the Bruins at the Final Four. But she was a big part of the team this season, and she hit two of the Bruins' eight 3-pointers Sunday.

One came with 7:56 left in the third quarter, putting UCLA up 43-25. It was still early, and yet it seemed like then the door was already being shut on the Gamecocks.

"It's a great Monday in New Zealand," Leger-Walker said of her homeland, where game time was Monday morning. "You know, we've talked a lot as a team about how that feeling you have when you're nervous and that you have when you're excited is really the same thing. That anxious feeling can all be redirected and reframed in a positive way. So when we stepped out on the court today, we were ready, we were prepared. Everything we've done up to this point this season has worked, and we don't have to change that."

Dawn Staley discusses the pressure that comes with consistent winning following South Carolina's loss to UCLA in the national championship.