Mission Accomplished! UCLA Women's Basketball Defeats South Carolina, 79-51, to Win NC #126!
The Bruins raced out to an early lead that they would never relinquish.
PHOENIX—All weekend long, I have had to stare at these banners hanging over the court here in Phoenix. They represent all of the NCAA Champions since the tournament began in 1982. UConn and South Carolina have banners, and Texas has a banner as well. There was only one name conspicuously missing.
That is no longer the case, as the UCLA Bruins can finally add their name to the list of NCAA Tournament champions, dominating from start to finish for a 79-51 victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks to capture their first NCAA Championship and UCLA’s 126th title.
Right from the jump, it was apparent that the Bruins were not to be denied. UCLA jumped out to an early lead, attacking the paint with reckless abandon and forcing South Carolina into uncomfortable positions early. After the first quarter, the Bruins led 21-10, having held the Gamecocks to only 16.7% shooting in the quarter while holding a 14-11 rebounding advantage. Defense and rebounding were always going to be critical in this matchup, and the Bruins met the challenge with fervor. There was a worry with Lauren Betts, who left midway through the quarter while grabbing her throat, but afterwards she stated that she was having trouble dealing with the dry air, and would make her way back later in the half.
UCLA fans have worried all season about having one quarter where the Bruins experienced a lull, and that came in the second quarter, but even that was not up to the usual struggles this team can experience. The Bruins let South Carolina back into the game near the end of the half thanks to some increased pressure from the Gamecocks, who broke out a press and zone that flummoxed the Bruins. But in hindsight, that aggression seemed to be too little, too late. Had it come earlier in the game, South Carolina might have been able to build some real momentum, but with how late it came, UCLA was able to use the half to reset and figure out a counter.
And boy did they counter. The Bruins came out a house on fire in the second half, finally finding their traditional avalanche quarter to put some real distance between the two teams. It is one thing to outscore an opponent 25-9 in a quarter, but it is quite another to look as dominant as the team did in that quarter. UCLA shot 44.4% in the quarter, but they held South Carolina to 21.4%, only letting the Gamecocks make three baskets in total while forcing eight turnovers. On the flip side, the Bruins weren’t just efficient, but they were clean on offense as well - the Bruins only had two turnovers in the quarter, and that prevented South Carolina from getting out in transition and finding easier baskets.
There were plenty of games this season where the fourth quarter felt like a formality, but it is rare to see that happen in a national championship game. UCLA was not at its best in the fourth, but it did not need to be, as it was nursing a 29-point lead heading into the quarter. Most of the tension in the quarter was whether UCLA would push the lead out enough to make this the biggest victory in Final Four history, though the team took its foot off the gas at the end and let South Carolina get a few baskets in the final minute.
But at that point, it did not matter. Lauren Betts, who took home Final Four Most Outstanding Player after a 14-point, 11-rebound performance, was already off the court, having shared a hug with her coach. So too was Kiki Rice, the player who chose UCLA out of high school and who Close described as having a Pied Piper Effect in bringing in more talent to play for her. So too was Gabriela Jaquez, the player who grew up dreaming of wearing the Four Letters and saved her best game for last with a double-double of 21 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. So too was Gianna Kneepkens, who came in as the outside shooter the program felt it lacked and made the most of the moment, hitting three of her seven three-point attempts, with each make feeling more and more like a backbreaker. Angela Dugalic, who had been instrumental off the bench all season, stayed out on the court alongside Charlisse Leger-Walker, the transfer guard whom Close called pivotal to connecting the entire team.
Even the bench made the most of the moment. Sienna Betts had perhaps her best game in weeks, meeting the moment with physicality and grabbing a number of key rebounds that extended UCLA possessions. Lena Bilic, who did not see meaningful action against Texas on Friday, was called into duty and played tough, solid basketball. Amanda Muse, who similarly did not play much in the lead-up to this game, was called upon to cover for both Betts, who was dealing with her throat, and Dugalic, who struggled with foul trouble, and she met the moment with some solid defensive possessions. It was a full team performance at the best possible moment.
For Coach Cori Close, this was vindication. There are many, myself included, who have been critical of Close for her coaching ability, not doubting her ability to connect to players, but more worried about how she would handle the moment when she could not out-talent her opponent. But it is hard to argue with the results. Coach Close continued to run the program her own way, prioritizing the mental and physical well-being of her players before everything else. She can now call herself a champion, and at the end of the day, that is all that matters.
Congratulations to the UCLA Bruins women’s basketball program on capturing national title #126!
Here are my game notes:
Pregame
A lot of blue in the lower bowl, but the upper decks seem much more South Carolina. The non-partisan crowd feels like it is leaning towards UCLA as the underdog story going against the dynasty. I think UCLA will have the crowd advantage here, but not by an overwhelming amount.
They had a video package prior to the teams coming out, featuring the history of the NCAA women’s tournament. Lots of Pat Summitt and Geno Auriemma throughout, which was funny as every time Geno showed up, he was voraciously booed by those in attendance. Dude really decided to nuke his reputation this weekend for no real reason.
There is an interesting undercurrent to this game, as this was the national championship matchup many expected to take place last year before UConn stormed through the tournament. UCLA has some new pieces, but there is a lot of change on the part of South Carolina from last year’s squad. I think anyone looking to last year’s regular-season matchup to take anything from it won’t find much in the way of usable information.
First Quarter
Coach Cori Close talked about how much they struggled to get the ball to Lauren Betts on the inside, so it feels appropriate that the first offensive play ended up with Betts having the ball in the low post.
A lot was made of South Carolina possessing the same level of physicality as Texas, but the big difference is that Texas brings that physicality the entire length of the court, while South Carolina is more of a half-court defense. That’s a huge difference for the Bruins, who struggled all game inbounding against the Texas press. They’ve been able to get into their offense much more easily as a result, and the offense is running much more smoothly as a result.
Lena Bilic is getting some early run today, which is notable since she did not see the court against Texas until the game was well in hand. On the flip side, Sienna Betts is on the court for her first minutes, and immediately commits a foul after being late on a rotation.
A couple of bad possessions from Kiki Rice coming out of the timeout. She gets too sticky with the ball on offense and forces a contested jumper, then gets lost in coverage and gives up an open three on the other end.
UCLA has made the defensive decision to play off of Okot and let her shoot from range. She burned UConn on Friday, but so far is missing the mark.
Something is wrong with Lauren Betts. She asked to get out of the game, and a trainer is looking at her. Obviously not ideal, but the rest of the team is going to need ot step up as a result.
Gianna Kneepkens is pressing. She’s had two straight possessions where she forced a shot in the paint instead of kicking out to find something better.
End of 1Q thoughts: Obviously, exactly what you would want from the Bruins, outside of Lauren getting hurt and missing portions of the quarter. South Carolina’s defense is not nearly as physical as Texas’s was, and there have been more foul calls in general, so the UCLA offense has been able to flow more smoothly as a result. On the defensive end, the Bruins are doing a great job of challenging shots without fouling, and while the Gamecocks have gotten a few offensive rebounds, the Bruins are doing a good job of generally controlling the boards.
Second Quarter
Ann Meyers Drysdale was honored as part of the 1976 US Women’s Basketball Olympic Team after the 1st quarter, and took great pleasure in flashing the crowd repeatedly with her UCLA shirt underneath the Team USA polo.
These are huge minutes for both Sienna Betts and Angela Dugalic, with Lauren out and getting attended to by the training staff. Sienna just picked up her second foul, but has generally played well, and now Lauren is back in the game.
The best player in this game so far has been Gabriela Jaquez. South Carolina has no answer for her energy and ability to be that multi-dimensional, attacking inside while playing solid defense. If she can avoid a few ticky-tack fouls, she should continue to remain a problem.
Amanda Muse minutes! And in the first half! These will be fascinating, though I understand the idea, as South Carolina has not been able to solve UCLA’s interior size with Betts and Dugalic.
South Carolina came out of the media timeout in a zone that seemed to have messed with the Bruins, as they immediately committed a shot clock violation. They then go to a 2-2-1 matchup press that leads to another turnover. Great adjustment from Dawn Staley, we’ll see if the Bruins adjust.
Kneepkens is starting to get hot, which is a great sign. She seems the least phased by this zone, calmly driving the paint, getting to her spot, and hitting her shots.
Halftime thoughts: The game settled down in the second quarter, and the Bruins were able to extend their lead by two points, but the end of that half was a bit worrying if you’re a UCLA fan. The Bruins struggled with South Carolina’s increased pressure, and they’ll need to figure out how to deal with that at the half. But, so far, so good.
More: UCLA’s offense has been consistently fine - not great, but you aren’t going to shake your fist in anger at a 42.9% shooting percentage - but it is their defense that is carrying the day. South Carolina wasn’t just held to 23 points, but also 25.7% shooting for the half. Now, they shot 35.3% in the second quarter, so they are starting to heat up, and can absolutely catch fire from distance (they’re only 1-8 from deep so far), but that is something the Bruins can hang their hat on going forward.
Third Quarter
Little over a minute, and the officials have already called two fouls on South Carolina, both on Okot, who now has three fouls and needs to sit. That could be critical.
HUGE start to the half. The Bruins are nailing their shots and crashing the glass, taking away everything South Carolina wants to do.
7:05 left in the third quarter, and South Carolina already has four team fouls. A huge shift from their game against UConn where Geno complained about the lack of foul calls on the Gamecocks in the third.
South Carolina’s press is more of a matchup zone, which is a bit easier for the Bruins to break if they make the correct read. So far, so good this half.
Lauren Betts is a PROBLEM. South Carolina does not have the size like Texas does to contain her on the interior, which is leading to easy points, and she is on fire on the defensive end. She blocks a shot that leads to a Gabriela Jaquez runout layup and a timeout by South Carolina, and the Bruins have a 22-point lead. There are a lot of stunned fans in Gamecock gear here.
Coach Close feels comfortable enough with the lead that she’s stealing some minutes with Bilic and Sienna. It’s a good strategy to keep the starting core rested for the stretch run, especially with Dugalic having three fouls. And it can’t be any worse than watching Kiki Rice continue trying to do too much.
UCLA’s depth is about to be tested - Angela Dugalic just picked up her fourth foul with 3:01 remaining in the third quarter. Close was making an interesting bet while up big, and it backfired on her. I think UCLA could have risked more minutes with Sienna or Bilic out on the court, but we’ll see.
Right on cue, Sienna gets a critical offensive rebound, kicks out to her sister, who finds an open Kneepkens for a three to push the lead to 25. And then Amanda Muse comes in and makes a tremendous defensive play, if you’re wondering what kind of day this has been.
End of 3Q thoughts: All season long, UCLA has had these quarters where they just avalanche an opponent. It hasn’t happened much in the NCAA Tournament, but we just witnessed it in this third quarter. Competitive greatness is on full display, as the Bruins are meeting the moment and putting the Gamecocks in a blender on both ends. Of note: South Carolina beat UConn in large part because it controlled the glass, but UCLA has been hyper-focused on that end.
Fourth Quarter
Is it bad that my first thought is how am I going to get close to the court for the postgame celebrations?
Even as a UCLA writer, it is frankly shocking that we are in the fourth quarter of the national championship game, and both teams are playing out the string because the game is essentially over. Like, yes, there is still a chance South Carolina can come back, but the Bruins outscored the Gamecocks 25-7 last quarter, and they’re still getting easy looks at the basket now.
Ok, found a storyline to watch here in the fourth: Last year, the Bruins made infamous history with the largest loss in Final Four history by losing by 34 to UConn. Can they take their name off the top spot with this last quarter?
Dawn Staley said yesterday their plan was to try to wear Lauren down and get her out of the game with their pace. Well, the early throat injury seems to have kept Lauren fresh, as she just ran down the court past everyone for a transition layup.
I think Lauren and Kiki are done. Coach Close just subbed them out and gave them both a big hug as they came off.
Gabriela Jaquez’s three-point shooting went away for most of Big Ten play. Well, she hit two tonight to push the lead out to 34. She wrapped up the MVP vote from me right there.
Final thoughts: Confetti is pretty cool, you guys.
Go Bruins! National Champions!
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