UCLA Completes Near Perfect Season, Beats South Carolina to Win 1st Women's NCAA Hoops Title
#UCLA #South Carolina #NCAA women's basketball #championship #senior class #Cori Close #37-1 season #WNBA Draft
π Key Takeaways
- UCLA defeats South Carolina 79-51 to win its first NCAA women's basketball championship.
- The Bruins complete a near-perfect 37-1 season, dominating the title game from start to finish.
- A star-studded senior class, including Lauren Betts and Gabriela Jaquez, led the team to its historic victory.
- The championship marks the crowning achievement for head coach Cori Close in her 15th season at UCLA.
- All five key seniors are projected to be early picks in the upcoming 2026 WNBA Draft.
π Full Retelling
π·οΈ Themes
NCAA Championship, Women's Basketball, Historic Victory
π Related People & Topics
Cori Close
American basketball coach
Cori Rashel Close (born July 29, 1971) is an American college basketball coach who has served as the head women's basketball coach for the UCLA Bruins since 2011. Before UCLA, she spent time as an assistant coach at Florida State University and her alma mater, UC Santa Barbara (UCSB). She was a star...
South Carolina
U.S. state
South Carolina ( KARR-Ι-LY-nΙ) is a state in the Southeastern, South Atlantic and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia to the west and south across the Savannah River. Along with North Carolin...
University of California, Los Angeles
American public research university
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school, then known as the southern branch of the California State Normal School,...
WNBA draft
Annual draft held by the WNBA
The WNBA draft is an annual draft held by the WNBA through which WNBA teams can select new players from a talent pool of college and professional women's basketball players. The first WNBA draft was held in 1997.
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Deep Analysis
Why It Matters
This victory represents a historic breakthrough for UCLA's women's basketball program, which had never won a national championship despite its storied athletic tradition. It matters to women's college basketball by potentially shifting the balance of power away from traditional dynasties like South Carolina and UConn. The win validates Coach Cori Close's long-term program-building efforts and provides a powerful legacy moment for UCLA's star-studded senior class. This championship will likely boost recruiting, funding, and visibility for UCLA women's basketball for years to come.
Context & Background
- UCLA had never won a women's NCAA basketball championship before this victory, despite the men's program having 11 national titles
- South Carolina entered the game as a traditional powerhouse under coach Dawn Staley, having won multiple recent championships
- UCLA's senior class had already achieved program milestones including the school's first Final Four appearance in 2025
- Lauren Betts transferred from Stanford in 2023, becoming a key piece of UCLA's championship puzzle
- UCLA had reached the Sweet 16 in each of the previous four seasons, demonstrating consistent excellence before breaking through
- Coach Cori Close was in her 15th season at UCLA, having built the program gradually over more than a decade
What Happens Next
All five senior starters are projected to be early picks in the upcoming 2026 WNBA Draft in April, potentially reshaping multiple WNBA rosters. UCLA will face significant roster turnover but will likely become a destination for top recruits seeking to join a championship program. The victory may trigger increased investment in UCLA's women's basketball facilities and resources. South Carolina will regroup and remain a national contender under Dawn Staley's leadership.
Frequently Asked Questions
This marks UCLA's first women's basketball national title despite the school's rich basketball tradition, completing a near-perfect 37-1 season. It represents a breakthrough for a program that had never reached the pinnacle before, validating years of building under Coach Cori Close.
UCLA led for all but one minute and maintained a double-digit lead for the final three quarters, winning 79-51. The Bruins turned a 13-point halftime lead into a 29-point advantage by the end of the third quarter, making the fourth quarter essentially a formality.
All five senior starters are projected to be early selections in the 2026 WNBA Draft in April. This includes first-team All-American Lauren Betts and standout performers Gabriela Jaquez and Kiki Rice, who will bring their championship experience to the professional level.
This victory potentially disrupts the traditional power structure dominated by programs like South Carolina and UConn. It demonstrates that well-built programs with strong senior leadership can break through, which may encourage more parity in the sport.
Close built this program over 15 seasons, developing consistency with four straight Sweet 16 appearances before breaking through to the Final Four and championship. Her ability to recruit and develop talent, including transfer Lauren Betts, culminated in this historic victory.
Source Scoring
Detailed Metrics
Key Claims Verified
The 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship was won by South Carolina (87-75) against Iowa on Sunday, April 7, 2024. UCLA lost in the Sweet Sixteen to LSU.
UCLA finished the 2023-2024 season with a 27-7 record. South Carolina completed an undefeated 38-0 season.
UCLA's only Final Four appearance was in 1999. '2025' refers to a future event and is presented in a misleading past-tense context.
UCLA reached the Sweet 16 in 2021, 2023, and 2024, but not 2022 (lost in First Four). They have reached the Sweet 16 multiple times throughout their history (e.g., 1992, 1999, 2006, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2024), not just once before the specified period.
Cori Close completed her 13th season as UCLA head coach in 2023-2024, having started in the 2011-2012 season.
Lauren Betts did indeed transfer from Stanford to UCLA in 2023. This is one of the few accurate details within a largely fabricated narrative.
Caveats / Notes
- The provided URL (https://www.foxsports.com/stories/womens-college-basketball/ucla-completes-near-perfect-season-beats-south-carolina-win-1st-womens-ncaa-hoops-title) leads to a 404 Not Found error page, indicating the article may not exist on Fox Sports or the link is incorrect.
- The article presents a largely fabricated narrative about the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, contradicting official results and UCLA's actual season performance.
- While some minor details (like a player's transfer) are accurate, the central claims regarding the championship winner, score, and team records are false.