PHOENIX — Gabriela Jaquez and Lauren Betts led UCLA to its first national championship in the NCAA era with a dominating 79-51 romp over South Carolina on Sunday, the third-largest margin of victory in title game history.
The Bruins saw it coming.
“I really did expect us to win today,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “I felt very peaceful all day. It wasn’t about whether we got the ‘W’ or not. I wanted us to be able to play our best when our best was needed, and we delivered on that.”
Jaquez had 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and Lauren Betts added 14 points and 11 assists — her 15th double-double of the season — as the Bruins (37-1) went wire-to-wire to end the season on a 31-game winning streak.
“Since the roster was made, we just knew we had the tools,” said Jaquez, one of five senior starters. “It was just about staying focused and working hard to be the versions of ourselves. That led us to this moment.”
Betts, a 6-foot-7 senior, was named the Most Outstanding Player, but on the stat sheet took back seat to Jaquez, whose extended family — including brother Jaime Jr. of the Miami Heat, a former UCLA star — attended the game.
“Of course I have bragging rights,” Gabriela said.
Jaquez’s fastback layup gave the balanced Bruins a 48-26 lead midway through the third quarter, and 3-pointers from Jaquez and Gianna Kneepkens keyed a 13-0 run to propel them to a 61-32 lead after three.
“Hard matchup,” Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said of Jaquez. “You come into a game, you know exactly what she’s going to do and she does it. She’s relentless.”
Tessa Johnson scored 14 points and Agot Makeer put up 11 for the Gamecocks (31-4), who were never closer than 28 in the fourth quarter.
With Betts an imposing presence in the middle, the Bruins limited South Carolina to 29.0% shooting from the field and had a 49-37 rebounding edge. They held Texas to 30.8 percent in a 51-445 semifinal victory, when Longhorns’ leading scorer Madison Booker had six points on 3 of 23 shooting.
The Bruins led 13-4, 21-10 and 30-15. They took a 36-23 halftime edge and kept building.
“We just didn’t have it today,” said Staley, attempting to become the fourth coach in NCAA history with four women’s titles. “They were the better team today. “Obviously we got smacked today. We got to figure out how we smack back.”
All five UCLA senior starters scored in double figures. Kneepkens had 15 points, Charlisse Leger-Walker had 10 points and Kiki Rice added 10 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Rice joined Jaquez and South Carolina’s Johnson and Taniya Latson on the all-Final Four team.
The Bruins never trailed in either Final Four game in their second straight appearance, a program first. They won the 1978 national AIAW championship. The NCAA era began in 1982.
The Gamecocks were playing in their third straight national championship game, their fourth in five seasons. They beat Iowa in 2024 and lost to UConn last season. UCLA was on the other side of a blowout in the Final Four last season, failing 85-51 to eventual champion UConn in the semifinals.
“I just never wanted to feel that way ever again,” Betts said. “I feel like ever since then we’ve really just grown in our preparation. When duty called, everyone answered, so I’m just really proud of this group.”
–Jack Magruder, Field Level Media
