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UCLA Survives Texas Scare, Advances to First NCAA Title Game
For the first time in program history, the UCLA Bruins are heading to the women’s NCAA championship game. Behind a heroic defensive stand and a clutch double-double from center Lauren Betts, UCLA edged Texas 51-44 in a grind-it-out Final Four showdown Friday night in Phoenix .
The top-seeded Bruins (36-1) withstood a furious late rally from the Longhorns (35-4), who cut a 13-point deficit to just three points in the final minutes before running into Betts . With 20 seconds left and Texas threatening, the 6-foot-7 senior blocked a driving layup attempt by Madison Booker, preserving UCLA’s lead .
“We just kept believing in each other,” Betts said after the game. “It wasn’t pretty, but we found a way.”
Betts finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds, her most essential double-double of the season . Kiki Rice added 11 points, including four clutch free throws in the final seconds to seal the victory .
Defense Rules the Night
The game was a defensive slugfest from the opening tip. UCLA held Texas to just six points in the first quarter, while the Longhorns forced 23 Bruins turnovers . The halftime score read 20-17—a number more reminiscent of a 1980s contest than a modern Final Four.
“It was a rock fight out there,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “But our kids showed incredible grit.”
The Bruins’ victory sets up a rematch of sorts with South Carolina, which punched its own ticket earlier in the evening with a 62-48 win over previously undefeated UConn .
South Carolina Ends UConn’s 54-Game Winning Streak
In the first semifinal, the Gamecocks (36-3) delivered a masterclass in defensive intensity, holding UConn to its lowest scoring output of the season and snapping the Huskies’ 54-game winning streak .
The game was overshadowed by a postgame confrontation between coaches Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma. As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the two Hall of Fame coaches exchanged heated words during the customary handshake and had to be physically separated by assistants .
“I have no idea what happened,” Staley told ESPN’s Holly Rowe. “I’m of integrity. Sometimes things get heated. We move on” .
Auriemma later explained his frustration stemmed from waiting three minutes for Staley during the pregame handshake, adding he had “no regrets” about his postgame comments .
South Carolina will now play for its fourth national championship in the last nine years, while UCLA seeks its first NCAA title—though the Bruins won the AIAW championship in 1978 before the NCAA took over the sport .
Championship Sunday Showdown
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Matchup | No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 1 South Carolina |
| Date | Sunday, April 5, 2026 |
| Time | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| Location | Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix |
| TV | ABC |
The Bruins will need to solve the Gamecocks’ stifling defense to claim their first national title. South Carolina held UConn to just 48 points and has allowed only one opponent to score more than 62 in the tournament .
“We’re not done yet,” Close said. “This team has believed all year. One more to go.”
