UCLA women’s basketball has finally reached the mountaintop. After coming painfully close last year, the Bruins absolutely demolished South Carolina 79-51 on Sunday in Phoenix to secure their first NCAA women’s basketball national championship in school history. It was the kind of dominant performance that’ll be replayed for years to come.

Guard Gabriela Jaquez led the charge with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, while forward Lauren Betts added 16 points and a dominant 11 rebounds. For context on how locked in UCLA was defensively, South Carolina shot just 17% in the opening quarter, their worst quarter of the entire season. The Bruins were basically unstoppable from the moment the game started, jumping out to a 21-10 lead after the first quarter alone.

“I knew we were going to do it”, Jaquez said after the game, visibly emotional. “Coming to UCLA we all set out for a goal, and I imagined this moment. I imagined it so many times, and I am just so, so proud”. She had good reason to celebrate, her brother Jaime, who plays for the Miami Heat, flew in to watch his alma mater claim the title.

What makes this championship even more special is the journey these players took. The team finished the season 37-1, with their only loss coming in November to Texas at a Thanksgiving tournament. Coach Cori Close built this squad through a mix of high school recruits and transfer portal additions, creating a team that prioritized character alongside talent.

Close, who’s been coaching at UCLA for 15 seasons, was mentored by legendary men’s coach John Wooden and embraced his “Pyramid of Success” philosophy. The results speak for themselves. “Connectivity. Attention to detail”, Close said in the locker room before the game. “All year we’ve been saying the talent is our floor, but our character will determine our ceiling”.

Meanwhile, South Carolina’s defending champion Gamecocks (36-4) suffered their second straight championship game loss. Coach Dawn Staley acknowledged that UCLA simply came to play. “They were the better team”, Staley said. Despite the loss, the Gamecocks showed heart, they avoided becoming the most lopsided championship loss in history and surpassed the title game record low.

Lauren Betts earned Most Outstanding Player honors for the Final Four, finishing with dominant performances throughout the tournament. UCLA’s defense was suffocating all weekend, as evidenced by their 51-44 semifinal win over Texas.

For UCLA, this championship marks the program’s first NCAA title since winning the AIAW championship in 1978, before the NCAA took over women’s college basketball in 1982. The Bruins’ seniors and graduate students got their moment, and they made it unforgettable.