University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Women's Basketball - NCAA Championships (1)
2026
The No. 1-seed UCLA women's basketball team defeated No. 1-seed South Carolina, 79-51, to win its first-ever NCAA Championship on Sunday afternoon before a capacity crowd at Mortgage Matchup Center.
Playing at the NCAA Final Four for the second consecutive season, the Bruins (37-1) never trailed in Sunday's championship showdown against South Carolina (36-4).
Seniorย Gabriela Jaquezย scored a team-leading 21 points, connecting on 8 of 14 shots and hitting 2 of 4 attempts from 3-point distance. In all, five Bruins scored in double figures.ย Gianna Kneepkensย totaled 15 points, connecting on 3 of 7 shots from behind the 3-point arc.ย Lauren Bettsย had 14 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, whileย Charlisse Leger-Walkerย andย Kiki Riceย each scored 10 points.
Under the leadership ofย Cori Close, in her 15th season as The Michael Price Family UCLA Women's Head Basketball Coach, UCLA earned its second women's basketball national title. The Bruins won the 1978 national title in the AIAW (Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women), before the NCAA took over the women's basketball championship in 1982.
UCLA's victory helped the women's basketball program secure its second national title and its first NCAA women's basketball title.
In addition, UCLA's win against South Carolina helped the university to secure its 126th NCAA team championship, the athletic department's second NCAA title in the 2025-26 academic year (also, men's water polo on Dec. 7, 2025). The Bruins rank No. 2 in the nation, among all NCAA Division I programs, with 126 NCAA team titles.
The Bruins outscored South Carolina in the third quarter, 25-9, to secure control of the championship contest. UCLA's smothering defense forced eight turnovers by South Carolina in the third quarter as the Bruins cruised to the 28-point win.