South Carolina, UCLA face off in women's national championship game
Phoenix – Perennial powers South Carolina and UCLA avenged recent setbacks in the semifinals of the NCAA women's Final Four on Friday. Each could do it again when they meet in the championship game Sunday afternoon. UCLA (36-1) broke the Gamecocks' 43-game winning streak in a 77-62 victory in their last meeting Nov.
24, 2024, when star center Lauren Betts had 11 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks. "It was one of those games at home where we were really clicking on both sides of the ball," UCLA coach Cori Close said of the most recent meeting, the Bruins' only win in the five-game series. Two seasons prior, South Carolina (36-3) beat the Bruins twice, the second time 59-43 in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen on March 25, 2003.
"I've been on both sides of that," Close said. "What I remember is, the team that rebounds the best and defends the best down the stretch won both those games. I don't think it is probably going to be that different.
" South Carolina is playing for coach Dawn Staley's fourth national championship, her third in five years, in their sixth straight Final Four. UCLA coach Cori Close is going for her first. The Bruins have not won in the NCAA era, although they did win the 1978 title while competing in the precursor AIAW.
The Bruins are in their second straight Final Four after losing to UConn in the semifinals a year ago. South Carolina made the finals with a decisive-at-this-level 62-48 victory over tournament No. 1 seed and undefeated UConn, which had beaten the Gamecocks by 23 in the 2025 championship game.