Ucla Captures First Ncaa Women’s Basketball Title, 79-51 Over South Carolina

Gabriela Jaquez scored 21 points, Lauren Betts added 16 and UCLA routed South Carolina 79-51 Sunday to triumph their first NCAA title successful women’s basketball.

The near-record lopsided triumph completed nan Bruins’ travel done this year’s March Madness that started aft a nonaccomplishment to UConn successful past season’s Final Four. The Bruins ran done their opponents this play pinch their only nonaccomplishment coming successful November, to Texas successful a Thanksgiving tournament.

“It’s immeasurably much than I could inquire aliases imagine,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “It’s beyond my wildest dreams.”

UCLA (37-1) was led by Betts and her chap seniors and postgraduate students, for illustration Jaquez, who played each 4 years pinch nan Bruins. She besides had 10 rebounds and 5 assists successful beforehand of her relative Jaime, who plays for nan Miami Heat and flew successful to be nan crippled to watch his alma mater win.

“I’m truthful proud of this group, we’re nationalist champions,” Jaquez said.

Gabriela Jaquez reacts during nan 4th fourth against nan South Carolina Gamecocks. Photograph: Sarah Stier/Getty Images

The group that coach Close put together done a operation of precocious schoolhouse commitments and transportation portal players capped disconnected their stellar careers pinch a championship.

“Connectivity. Attention to detail. You cognize I looked them successful nan eyes earlier successful nan locker room, earlier nan game, and I said, ‘I’m truthful proud to beryllium capable to opportunity this,” Close said. “Because each twelvemonth we’ve been saying nan talent is our floor, but our characteristic will find our ceiling.’”

The title is UCLA’s first successful women’s hoops since winning nan 1978 AIAW championship, which was nan postseason tourney for nan athletics earlier nan NCAA took complete successful 1982.

The title crippled nonaccomplishment was nan 2nd consecutive for nan Gamecocks (36-4), who won nan title successful 2024. Dawn Staley and her squad will beryllium favored to return to nan game’s biggest shape pinch a talented group of expected returnees, led by Joyce Edwards and Agot Makeer.

Like their 51-44 semi-final triumph complete Texas, nan Bruins were locked successful defensively, anchored by Betts. She vanished pinch 11 rebounds and exited nan crippled pinch 3:45 left, giving Close a immense hug. The 6ft 7in elder earned Most Outstanding Player honors of nan Final Four.

Offensively, nan Bruins had a overmuch easier clip than successful nan semi-final crippled that saw nan squad people only 20 points successful nan first half. The Bruins surpassed that full successful nan opening 10 minutes against South Carolina. Kiki’s Rice three-pointer conscionable earlier nan first-quarter buzzer made it 21-10 arsenic nan Bruins sewage disconnected to a beardown commencement and South Carolina struggled pinch 17% shooting, it’s poorest 4th of nan season.

The Bruins extended nan lead to 15 points successful nan 2nd 4th by clogging up nan overgarment connected defense and moving nan shot wrong connected discourtesy for a 36-23 lead astatine nan half.

Head coach Dawn Staley’s squad mislaid a 2nd consecutive nationalist championship. Photograph: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

UCLA put nan crippled distant successful nan 3rd quarter, opening nan play pinch a 12-3 run. Jaquez had 5 points during nan spurt. South Carolina ne'er threatened again arsenic nan Bruins outscored them 25-9 successful nan period.

Tessa Johnson scored 14 points and Makeer added 11 for nan Gamecocks.

South Carolina avoided nan astir lopsided nonaccomplishment successful title history: 33 points, group successful 2013 erstwhile UConn defeated Louisville. The Gamecocks besides surpassed nan title crippled grounds debased of 44 points by Louisiana Tech successful 1987 against Tennessee.

The Gamecocks were trying to cement their sanction arsenic nan premier programme successful nan athletics pinch a 4th title and 3rd successful nan past 5 seasons. It conscionable wasn’t meant to beryllium Sunday arsenic they had their worst shooting crippled of nan play against a talented UCLA.

Close has been astatine UCLA for 15 seasons, but her connections spell deeper pinch nan schoolhouse arsenic she was mentored by nan legendary Bruins men’s coach John Wooden, who won 10 nationalist championships astatine nan school.

Their enslaved began erstwhile she was 22 years aged and he was 83. She shares nan aforesaid first sanction pinch 1 of his great-granddaughters. Close visited Wooden bi-weekly, adopting his “Pyramid of Success” and attraction connected character. It has paid off.