PHOENIX (AP) 鈥� It鈥檚 mission accomplished for UCLA.
Gabriela Jaquez, Lauren Betts and the rest of the UCLA seniors secured the first NCAA women’s basketball national championship in school history 鈥� a goal that was set after losing in the first Final Four last season.
Jaquez scored 21 points, Betts added 16 and UCLA routed South Carolina 79-51 Sunday in the title game.
鈥淚 knew we were going to do it. Coming to UCLA we all set out for a goal, and I imagined this moment,鈥� Jaquez said. “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鈥檓 so happy.鈥�
The near-record lopsided victory completed the Bruins鈥� journey through this year鈥檚 . The Bruins ran through their opponents this season with their only loss coming in November, to Texas in a Thanksgiving tournament.
鈥淚t鈥檚 immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine,鈥� UCLA coach Cori Close said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 beyond my wildest dreams.鈥�
UCLA (37-1) was led by Betts and her fellow seniors and graduate students, like Jaquez 鈥� who played all four years with the Bruins. She also had 10 rebounds and five assists in front of her brother Jaime, who plays for the Miami Heat and the game to watch his alma mater win.
The group that coach Close put together through a combination of high school commitments and transfer portal players capped off their stellar careers with a championship, scoring all the points in the title game.
鈥淐onnectivity. Attention to detail. You know I looked them in the eyes before in the locker room, before the game, and I said, 鈥業鈥檓 so proud to be able to say this,鈥� Close said. “Because all year we鈥檝e been saying the talent is our floor, but our character will determine our ceiling.鈥欌��
The title is UCLA鈥檚 first since winning the 1978 AIAW championship, which was the postseason tournament for women鈥檚 basketball before the NCAA took over in 1982.
The championship game loss was the second straight for the Gamecocks, who won the title in 2024. Dawn Staley and her Gamecocks (36-4) will be favored to return to the game鈥檚 biggest stage with a talented group of expected returnees, led by Joyce Edwards and Agot Makeer.
Like their semifinal win over Texas, the Bruins were locked in defensively, anchored by Betts. She finished with 11 rebounds and exited the game with 3:45 left, giving Close a huge hug. The 6-foot-7 senior earned Most Outstanding Player honors of the Final Four.
鈥淯CLA is a quality team with very experienced players who got a taste of being in the Final Four last year, and you make adjustments,鈥� South Carolina’s Staley said. “From last year to this year — they played determined last year, but they played more determined this year because they were so close.鈥�
Offensively, the Bruins had a much easier time than in the semifinal game that saw the team score only 20 points in the first half. The Bruins surpassed that total in the opening 10 minutes against South Carolina. Kiki鈥檚 Rice 3-pointer just before the first-quarter buzzer made it 21-10 as the Bruins got off to a strong start and South Carolina struggled with 17% shooting, it鈥檚 poorest quarter of the season.
The Bruins extended the lead to 15 points in the second quarter by clogging up the paint on defense and working the ball inside on offense for a 36-23 lead at the half.
UCLA put the game away in the third quarter, opening the period with a 12-3 run. Jaquez had five points during the spurt. South Carolina never threatened again as the Bruins outscored them 25-9 in the period.
鈥淲e just didn鈥檛 have it today. We tried, but we just didn鈥檛 have it today,鈥� Staley said. “They were the better team.鈥�
South Carolina avoided the most lopsided loss in championship history of 33 points, set in 2013 when UConn defeated Louisville. The Gamecocks also surpassed the title game record low of 44 points by Louisiana Tech in 1987 against Tennessee.
The Gamecocks were trying to cement their name as the premiere program in the sport with a fourth championship and third in the past five seasons. It just wasn鈥檛 meant to be Sunday as they had their worst shooting game of the season against a talented UCLA team.
鈥淭his is not the ending we wanted, but we got here. No one thought we would, and we did it,鈥� said Tessa Johnson, who led South Carolina with 14 points.
Makeer added 11 for the Gamecocks.
鈥淭he score speaks for itself.鈥� said Gamecocks senior Raven Johnson, who played in five Final Fours in her career.
Close has been at UCLA for 15 seasons, but her connections go deeper with the school as she was mentored by the legendary Bruins men鈥檚 coach John Wooden, who won 10 national championships at the school.
Their bond began when she was 22 years old and he was 83. She shares the same first name with one of his great-granddaughters. Close visited Wooden bi-weekly, adopting his 鈥淧yramid of Success鈥� and focus on character and its paid off with her team.
鈥淐oach Wooden always said, 鈥榊ou got to do it the way you鈥檙e wired to do it, not the way anyone else did.鈥� And I just tried imperfectly to stay true to that,” Close said.
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