UCLA Wins First Women's Title, Crushes South Carolina 79-51

For the first time in program history, UCLA women's basketball can call themselves national champions after a masterclass performance in Phoenix that left no doubt who deserved the title.

The Bruins dominated South Carolina 79-51 on Sunday, finishing their dream season with a 37-1 record. Every UCLA starter scored in double figures as they dismantled a Gamecocks team that had won three championships since 2017.

UCLA came out firing from the opening tip and never looked back. They held South Carolina to just 26% shooting in the first half and built a 13-point lead by halftime.

The third quarter sealed it. UCLA outscored the Gamecocks by 16 points in that period alone, the largest scoring margin in any quarter in women's title-game history. South Carolina faced their biggest deficit of the entire season, trailing by 22 points with no answers.

Why This Inspires

For 54-year-old head coach Cori Close, the victory represented a journey beyond basketball. Standing alongside her mother after the final buzzer, she shared what made the moment so powerful.

"It's beyond my wildest dreams," Close said through tears. "But it's meaningful because of the people I've gotten to share it with. It's all about the heart."

Lauren Betts, named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds despite briefly leaving the game with something stuck in her throat. The projected high WNBA draft pick sees her platform as bigger than basketball.

"I was put on this earth not just to score points, but to help people," an emotional Betts told the crowd. "I'm always going to speak my truth because I know it's going to help people."

Gabriela Jaquez led all scorers with 21 points while her brother Jaime, an NBA player for the Miami Heat, watched proudly from the stands. She said bringing a championship to UCLA had been the senior class's goal from day one.

The victory extends UCLA's winning streak to 31 games and makes them only the second Big Ten school ever to win the women's title. As the final seconds ticked away, Close embraced South Carolina coach Dawn Staley in a moment of mutual respect before celebrating with her team.

A school already home to 11 men's basketball championships now has a women's trophy to match. The Bruins proved that patience, heart, and teamwork can make even the wildest dreams come true.