UCLA Bruins dominate South Carolina 79-51 to claim first women's basketball NCAA title
UCLA finished the season 37-1 by defeating the three-time national champion South Carolina Gamecocks.
Updated on: April 5, 2026 / 9:49 PM EDT / CBS LA
To be the best, you need to beat the best, and the UCLA Bruins women's basketball team did that with an exclamation point on Sunday to climb the mountaintop.
The Bruins (37-1) dismantled South Carolina 79-51 in the 2026 NCAA National Championship Game to earn their first title since joining in 1981. It was their 31st straight win after an early-season loss to the Texas Longhorns, whom they defeated in the Final Four to earn a berth in the national championship.
The emphatic victory capped off a dominant run through March Madness for the Bruins, led by 6-foot-7 senior center Lauren Betts, who led the team in scoring in four of their six games. She had 14 points and 11 rebounds during Sunday's historic win.
UCLA put its foot on the gas early, surviving an injury scare to Betts, who received treatment on the bench after appearing to be hit in the throat. It finished the first quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 21-10 lead into the second.
The Gamecocks held their own in the second, but were still outscored 15-13 as the Bruins took a 36-23 lead at the half.