The UCLA Bruins made history on Sunday, demolishing top-seeded South Carolina 79-51 to capture their first-ever NCAA Division I women’s basketball championship at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix.
Total Domination
UCLA closed out a remarkable 2025-26 season with a 37-1 overall record and a perfect 18-0 mark in Big Ten play. The 28-point margin of victory left no doubt about which team was the best in college basketball this season.
Five Bruins in Double Figures
Senior Gabriela Jaquez led the charge with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 2-of-4 from three-point range. Gianna Kneepkens added 15 points, Lauren Betts recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and both Charlisse Leger-Walker and Kiki Rice chipped in 10 points each.
Betts was named the 2026 Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
Historic Achievement
While UCLA won the AIAW tournament championship back in 1978, this marks the program’s first title in the NCAA era. The Bruins had never even appeared in an NCAA championship game before Sunday’s dominant performance.
In just their second season in the Big Ten conference, the Bruins accomplished something no other women’s team has done since 1999 — running the table in conference play while winning the national championship.
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