Jeff Metcalfe
Cori Close would have gladly accepted any sort of win in Sunday’s NCAA Women’s Basketball championship game against South Carolina.
What she really wanted, though, was a more aesthetically pleasing victory than in the semifinals Friday when UCLA out-defensed Texas, 51-44, to avenge its only loss.
“We want to have a stylistic game that shows off the progress of the game, that continues to grow the game nationally to people who are tuning in,” Close said on the off day between games at Mortgage Matchup Center.
The Bruins, perhaps empowered by reaching the final, bolted to a 21-10 first-quarter lead and led by as many 35 in a 79-51 shocker. Especially given that they were 4.5-point underdogs to the Gamecocks, playing in a third straight final in search of a fourth title under Dawn Staley.
Instead, UCLA beat South Carolina for the second time in two seasons by a larger margin than in November 2024 (77-62). The 28-point differential Sunday was the third largest in NCAA championship history behind only Connecticut romps over Louisville (33 points) in 2013 and Syracuse (31) in 2016.
The Bruins trailed for 54 seconds total in two Final Four games.
“I felt like yesterday I knew that we were going to win just because we were so focused,” said Lauren Betts, voted Final Four Most Outstanding Player. Close said she too expected to win and that she was “very peaceful all day. I wanted us to be able to play our when our best was needed. We delivered on that.”
The Bruins (37-1) won their 31 in a row in earning their first national title since the 1977-78 team in the AIAW era. They are the second champion in six years from the West, joining Stanford (2021), and were the crowd favorite among a sellout 15,856 at the first Final Four in the West since 2012.
UCLA is the first Big Ten champion since Purdue in 1999 although the Bruins are built on talent acquired during the Pac-12 days and transfers once that conference broke up.
Five of UCLA’s six seniors scored in double figures and the other had nine points. Gabriela Jaquez led the way with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a legend-making performance. Betts also had a double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds).
The Bruins outrebounded South Carolina 49-37 and held the Gamecocks to 13 or fewer points in the first through third quarters including a championship game low nine in the third. They clearly understood the game plan as outlined by Close on Saturday.
“The team that was able to dictate with their defense, get enough stops, win the rebounding battle, came out on top,” she said of meetings vs. South Carolina in the 2023 NCAA Sweet 16 (59-43 South Carolina) and 2024.
The Gamecocks (36-4) averaged a school record 85.5 points but scored a combined 113 (56.5 ppg) in the Final Four. Still they beat defending champion and undefeated Connecticut 62-48 on Friday and had no idea that a 29 percent shooting game was coming against UCLA.
“We had a lot of people taking shots that aren’t normal for us,” Staley said. “We didn’t do a good job of getting the people that probably was supposed to get some better looks the ball. But I think UCLA had a lot to do with it. I didn’t think we had to play perfect basketball, but we had to play better basketball.
UCLA led 36-23 at halftime then opened the third quarter on a 12-3 run and closed it with a 13-2 run for 61-32, making the fourth academic.
Jaquez, a 6-0 guard, outshined even 6-7 Betts on Sunday and made the All-Final Four team along with teammate Kiki Rice. She had 14 of her 21 points in the second half, playing in front of her brother Jaime, now with the Miami Heat.
While at UCLA, Jaime played in the 2021 Final Four when the Bruins lost to Gonzaga in the semifinals.
“Of course I have bragging rights. I’m a champion now,” Gabriela said. I just really appreciate his support. I think the impact he had on me is really inspiring. Growing up watching him compete all the time, I guess we kind of played similarly, but that just comes from watching him.”
UCLA now has a women’s NCAA championship in addition to its 11 men’s titles, all but one of those during the John Wooden coaching era. When Close was a UCLA assistant coach from 1993-95, she met Wooden, whose great granddaughter also is named Cori.
“I owe her everything, because if I hadn’t spelled it (first name) like her, he never would have let me in the door,” Close said.
“I really think about if I’m going to make him proud for how he poured into me, it’s going to be about keeping it about the process and truly loving kids well for things that are way beyond UCLA. That’s where we get to teach, mentor and equip for life beyond UCLA. I couldn’t be more grateful for the time he gave me.”
Wooden died at age 99 in 2010. Close returned to UCLA as head coach in 2011 and now has brought the Bruins another championship banner for Pauley Pavilion.
“Before every game, we walk down that hallway, and I literally touch each one,” said Close, imaging that “someday the by-product could be us hanging one.”
After 15 seasons under Close and a second consecutive Final Four, that is now a reality.
