UCLA Women Win First NCAA Title With Historic Defense

Five senior starters walked off the court Sunday night as champions, capping their college careers with UCLA's first NCAA women's basketball title in the modern era.

The Bruins crushed South Carolina 79-51 in Phoenix, holding the Gamecocks to shooting percentages no championship team has ever overcome. South Carolina made just 29% of their shots and a staggering 13.3% from three-point range, the lowest marks in any NCAA basketball championship game.

"We just knew we were going to win because of all the prep and work that we put in," said center Lauren Betts, who earned Most Outstanding Player honors. "When we find a way to play together and play selflessly, do what we do, no one can stop us."

The victory completed an almost perfect season. UCLA finished 37-1 with a school-record 31-game winning streak, including revenge against Texas in the semifinals for their only loss of the year.

Coach Cori Close fought back tears during the postgame news conference. "I said I wanted to find uncommon, courageous women that were willing to make uncommon choices that maybe possibly could yield an uncommon result, and today it did," she said.

The Ripple Effect

The celebration has stretched from coast to coast. The Empire State Building glowed in UCLA's blue and gold Sunday night. The team appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and got honored at a Lakers game Tuesday.

Wednesday's free celebration at Pauley Pavilion gives fans a chance to share the joy. Early arrivals will snag championship posters, and everyone can snap photos with the regional and championship trophies. Fans can even sign the giant NCAA tournament bracket the team marked with victory stickers after each win.

The championship adds to UCLA's remarkable legacy as the second-most successful athletics program in NCAA history with 126 team titles. More importantly, it shows what happens when experienced players commit to something bigger than themselves. All of UCLA's Final Four points came from seniors and graduate students who chose to stay, grow together, and chase history.

A team of uncommon women made an uncommon choice and got their uncommon result.