The battle for the 2026 NCAA women's basketball championship title was a matchup between veterans and rookies, with South Carolina making its third consecutive appearance and UCLA its first.
A philosophy leading South Carolina to its win over UConn on Friday was "meet the moment," with head coach Dawn Staley emphasizing the importance of playing to the stage they were on.
Unfortunately for Staley and her Gamecocks, UCLA's head coach Cori Close claimed her moment, securing a 79-51 win in her first national championship appearance and sending Staley home empty-handed for the second year in a row.
Close was able to take her feelings of remorse from her 2025 Final Four loss and turn them into motivation for the team.
"Being able to turn the pain of regret into the pain of discipline, to then see the chosen pain of discipline pay off in having championship habits today, that's really rewarding," " Close said.
From the start, South Carolina stepped out with aggressive defense, but this wasn't enough for the energy UCLA met them with. The Bruins beat the Gamecocks to the boards 14-11 in the first.
Beyond the Bruins' dominance at the glass, the Gamecocks battled with the rim, going 3-18.
A culmination of missed rebounds and short shots from South Carolina led UCLA to build its lead, ending the first with a 3-pointer from senior guard Kiki Rice, bringing the Bruins up to a score of 21-10.
Heading into the second with an 11-point deficit, South Carolina continued to come up short, with senior center Lauren Betts and senior guard Gabriela Jaquez elevating to protect the Bruins' basket.
Throughout the course of the game, Betts and Jaquez combined for 21 rebounds, with both their siblings in attendance. Betts' younger sister is the Bruins' freshman forward Sienna Betts, while Jaquez's older brother is UCLA alum and Miami Heat small forward Jaime Jaquez Jr.
With South Carolina struggling to compete against UCLA's momentum, they increased the pressure on defense, forcing the Bruins into shot clock violations. Offensively, uplifting the Gamecocks this quarter with 7 points was junior guard Tessa Johnson.
At halftime, UCLA was up 13 to South Carolina, leading 36-23 into the locker rooms.
The Gamecocks picked up the intensity heading into the third, utilizing a full-court press in an attempt to slow the Bruins down.
Sometimes pressure wears you down, but for Jaquez, it molded her into a diamond. Her fast breaks and driving down the lane forced the Gamecocks into a state of desperation, where their defense could only rely on running out the clock.
Putting the nail in the coffin for South Carolina's title hopes was graduate guard Gianna Kneepkens, who was consistent from the arc and elbow, scoring 15 points and limiting the Gamecocks through blocks and steals.
"Gianna (Kneepkens) is a spectacular competitor," Close said. "One of the things I thought we really could give her, she's always had to be the most hard-working player."
This elevated UCLA to nearly 30 points above South Carolina, heading into the fourth 61-32.
In the fourth, a once vocal Staley began to settle, accepting that it was time to take a seat on the sidelines.
The 10-minute quarter played out in favor of UCLA; chants erupted from the fans, ready to welcome home their first title.
As the two-minute mark hit, Close subbed out her starters, sharing a warm embrace with Rice, Betts, Kneepkens and Jaquez as they walked off the court.
Those repping the blue began "MVP" chants after the 21-point and 5-assist performance Jacquez put on for fans and family.
"I had open shots and I made them," Jaquez said. "I think that was just kind of what it was. Just super proud of this group and how we played as a team to get this victory."
As time ran out in the title game, Staley's team suffered another 20-plus point loss in pursuit of a championship.
Despite this loss, Staley found comfort in knowing the victor was one who was set on advancing the women's game.
"Although we didn't win, I can swallow it because we lost to a really good human being and a good team that represent women's basketball well," Staley said.
Edited by Alan Deutschendorf, Sophia Braccio and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporter at cjoneil6@asu.edu and follow @cjojournalism on X.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on X.
Char O’Neil is a junior studying sports journalism with a minor in special events management. This is her third semester with The State Press. She has also reported for AZPreps365, Blaze Radio and Phoenix College Basketball.
