UCLA Wins its First NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, Dominating South Carolina Gamecocks

Home TV News Apr 5, 2026 2:50pm PT UCLA Wins its First NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, Dominating South Carolina Gamecocks Team's star players Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice are headed for the WNBA draft on April 13 By Cynthia Littleton Plus Icon Cynthia Littleton Business Editor @Variety_Cynthia Latest LISTEN: ‘Project Hail Mary’ Holds on Tight; Why ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ Is Launching a Streaming App 6 days ago ‘Love Story’ Producers Brad Simpson and Nina Jacobson on Tackling Final Episode With JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s Fateful Flight: ‘We Didn’t Want to Be Gratuitous’ 1 week ago LISTEN: OpenAI Shuts Down Sora, Disney Dodges Video AI Bullet — For Now 1 week ago See All Getty Images The UCLA women’s basketball team has scored the school’s first-ever women’s NCAA championship title, dominating the South Carolina Gamecocks 79-51 in a hard-fought Easter Sunday game that capped several years of momentum for the Bruin squad that features superstar player Lauren Betts. Betts, the team’s 6’7″ center, and guard Kiki Rice led the Bruins to overwhelm the Gamecocks throughout the game. Going into the fourth quarter, UCLA had a 29-point (61-32) lead over the Gamecocks, a formidable team who have earned three championship titles in the past 10 years (2017, 2022 and 2024) under the leadership of respected coach Dawn Staley. Related Stories Anna Faris Explains Becoming Candy Crush's Bubblegum Troll, the ‘Toy Story 5’ Rumor and Teases That Cindy Campbell Gets ‘Revenge’ in ‘Scary Movie 6' (EXCLUSIVE)