From The Sports Desk: Bruin Beatdown

After a March Madness afloat of blowouts, what did you expect? The UCLA women destroyed South Carolina 79-51 successful nan nationalist title crippled yesterday, nan third-largest blowout successful title crippled history. Tonight, Michigan, caller disconnected an 18-point triumph complete Arizona successful nan nationalist semifinal, plays UConn for nan men’s nationalist title.

How did nan Bruins propulsion it off? Will nan Wolverines rotation to a title, too? We break it each down below.

A reminder: We’ll beryllium live-blogging nan crippled tonight, truthful travel on for real-time penetration and study from our team. As always, beryllium judge to cheque NBC News for each our coverage.

Michigan vs. UConn

During nan first half of Saturday’s Final Four crippled betwixt Michigan and Arizona, Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan’s 6-foot-9 guardant and starring scorer, injured his near knee and ankle. He spent a batch of clip receiving curen and erstwhile he returned successful nan 2nd half appeared to beryllium moving somewhat gingerly.

“He played nan 2nd half for illustration a 38-year-old astatine nan YMCA,” Michigan coach Dusty May later said.

Yaxel Lendeborg of nan Michigan Wolverines during nan 2nd half against nan Arizona Wildcats successful nan Final Four of nan 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament connected April 4.Jamie Schwaberow / NCAA Photos via Getty Images

It didn’t matter. Michigan jumped retired to a lead arsenic ample arsenic 30, arsenic nan Wolverines cruised to a 91-73 triumph complete Arizona. The Wildcats were a chap No. 1 seed and a trendy prime to triumph nan tournament, and Michigan disposed of them arsenic if they were a mid-major.

The Wolverines person been doing this each season, though. In nan regular season, they hit 3 classed teams (Gonzaga, Auburn and USC) by 30 aliases much points. In nan NCAA Tournament, they hit Tennessee successful nan Elite Eight by 33 points. They’ve cruised done nan tournament, averaging 94.4 points per crippled and winning by an mean of 21.6.

Aside from Lendeborg, Michigan boasts 2 different imaginable NBA draught picks successful nan beforehand tribunal — 7-foot-3 halfway Aday Mara and 6-foot-9 guardant Morez Johnson Jr. — positive an knowledgeable constituent defender successful Elliot Cadeau and a smart coach in May.

Looking astatine nan container score, Cadeau appeared to person a mediocre shooting nighttime (5-for-17) against Arizona. But May revealed afterward that “a mates of those were passes disconnected nan backboard.” May had instructed Cadeau to usage nan backboard to walk nan shot to Mara, to activity astir Arizona’s ain 7-foot-2 halfway Motiejus Krivas. “We’ve spent astir 5 to 10 minutes nan past 3 days moving connected nan lob disconnected nan backboard,” May said.

All eyes will beryllium connected Lendeborg connected Monday night, though, and his availability. He’s said that he plans to play. How effectively? We’ll see. “Whatever type of Yaxel we get, it’s going to beryllium personification that helps america play amended basketball,” May said.

UCLA's Super Seniors

Leading up to yesterday’s nationalist title game, UCLA coach Cori Close recovered herself successful a Zen-like mood. “I really did expect america to triumph today,” she said, aft nan Bruins defeated South Carolina by 28 points. “I thought astir it respective times. I’m like, ‘We’re going to win.’ I felt very serene each day.”

Close could remainder easy knowing she had six seniors to thin on, six seniors who wanted to spell retired connected a precocious statement — prima halfway Lauren Betts, 4 move guards successful Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker, and super-sub guardant Angela Dugalic off nan bench. They mixed to people each 79 of UCLA’s points Sunday.

Kiki Rice #1, Lauren Betts #51, Gianna Kneepkens #8, Sienna Betts #16, and Gabriela Jaquez #11 of nan UCLA Bruins observe aft nan triumph against nan South Carolina Gamecocks successful nan National Championship of nan NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament astatine Mortgage Matchup Center connected April 05, 2026 successful Phoenix, Arizona. Sarah Stier / Getty Images

“Today was conscionable a awesome show of our resilience, strength that we came out,” Rice said. “Just our will to win. We knew, we had a emotion this was our time, this was our year. We came retired location this full play and we would not beryllium denied.”

In a motion of nan times, 4 of nan six seniors started their careers astatine different schools, only to transportation to UCLA to shape this juggernaut. Betts arrived from Stanford, Dugalic from Oregon, Kneepkens from Utah and Leger-Walker from Washington State.

But Sunday, nan Bruins were led by Jaquez, a Southern California autochthonal and nan younger sister of NBA subordinate Jaime Jaquez Jr., a erstwhile Bruin himself. Gabriela was each complete nan court, scoring 21 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing 5 assists.

UCLA’s 6-foot-7 halfway Betts besides delivered, arsenic she had each tournament. Throughout March Madness, she averaged 21 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.8 blocks per game. After yesterday’s masterpiece, she was named nan tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

Betts credited nan team’s selflessness, really players sacrificed for 1 another, for nan bully of nan team. “At nan extremity of nan day,” she said, “no one’s going to really attraction astir really overmuch you averaged this play erstwhile you person a freaking ringing astir your finger. No 1 cares.”

Geno vs. Dawn

Head coach Dawn Staley of nan South Carolina Gamecocks, left, and caput coach Geno Auriemma of nan UConn Huskies during nan 4th fourth successful nan Final Four connected April 3.Christian Petersen / Getty Images

The women’s Final Four was overshadowed, successful part, by an incident betwixt 2 of nan faces of nan sport, UConn coach Geno Auriemma and South Carolina coach Dawn Staley. In nan last moments of Friday night’s Final Four game, arsenic nan Gamecocks closed successful connected a triumph complete nan Huskies, Auriemma had a heated exchange pinch Staley adjacent midcourt.

Auriemma was upset that Staley had not met him connected nan tribunal pregame, abstracted from nan coach’s handshake line, successful what he apparently considered a tradition. Auriemma received a batch of disapproval for his behaviour and he later publicly apologized to Staley.

After South Carolina sewage crushed by UCLA yesterday, Staley said she was happy for UCLA and coach Close because they were “really value people.”

“Although we didn’t win,” Staley added, “I tin swallow it because we mislaid to a really bully quality being and a bully squad that correspond women’s hoops well.”

A newsman asked Staley astir Auriemma perchance reaching retired aft nan incident, and Staley tried to deflect. “We’re not going to damper UCLA’s time pinch it,” she said.

The time earlier nan title game, Close had been asked astir nan incident. She had texted pinch Staley, she said, and “I told her successful a mates weeks I’d emotion to cognize nan existent story.”

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What We're Reading

The time aft nan women’s Final Four ended, nan WNBA had a monolithic trade. The Chicago Sky sent Angel Reese to nan Atlanta Dream, successful speech for 2 first-round picks.

Steph Curry’s return from wounded wasn’t nan only notable point from past night’s game. He yet took nan level arsenic a teammate pinch his brother, Seth Curry.

Luka Dončić is headed to Europe to activity specialized curen for his hamstring strain.

Scottie Scheffler and his family — including his 9-day-old boy — person arrived astatine The Masters.

And Rory McIlroy is aiming to subordinate exclusive institution of back-to-back winners of nan famed tournament.

The WNBA held its description draught for nan Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo.

What We're Watching

It’s each travel down to this. The nationalist championship, Michigan vs. UConn. One squad that’s steamrolled its measurement done nan tourney and different that is playing for its 3rd title successful 4 years. Come subordinate america arsenic our NBC News team live-blogs nan game.

Before that, for an appetizer, tune into Peacock for a value NBA matchup betwixt nan red-hot Atlanta Hawks and nan New York Knicks.

All times are Eastern:

• 7 p.m.: New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks, connected Peacock
• 8:50 p.m.: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 2 UConn, connected TBS

That’s it for now! We’ll beryllium backmost tomorrow.