UCLA Wins First NCAA Tournament Title
Character, selflessness, and balanced basketball earn Bruins national championship
The UCLA Bruins won their first national title since 1978 (and their first in the NCAA era) after routing South Carolina, 79-51, in the championship game on Sunday afternoon. The Bruins played the most stout defense in NCAA Tournament Championship Game history, becoming the first team – men's or women's – to hold its opponents to under 30.0% shooting overall and under 15.0% from three in a national title game. And they did it against Dawn Staley and her developing dynasty.
All season long, head coach Cori Close attributed the Bruins' success to their character and willingness to commit to their mission of winning an NCAA title. And now that they've done it?
"It's beyond my wildest dreams," Close said. "It's meaningful because of the people I've gotten to share it with. All year we've been saying, 'talent is our floor, but our character will determine our ceiling,' and I'm just so confident in their character. That's what determined how they played today."
That character shined on the biggest stage. The Bruins played completely selfless basketball with five players finishing in double figures. It felt as though every time the Gamecocks found an answer for one player, another responded, whether it was Lauren Betts, Gianna Kneepkens, Angela Dugalic, or Kiki Rice. As Holly Rowe commented post-game, "it took a little bit of everyone."
It was senior Gabriela Jaquez that led the way for the Bruins, tallying 21 points in the championship game.
"We all set out for a goal," Jaquez said. "We imagined this moment... and I'm just so, so proud. This being the last time I'm wearing this uniform is making me emotional too, but to finish like this is everything... What a way to end it."
Jaquez finishes her career with 124 wins, making her the most-winningest player to ever wear the UCLA uniform. Last year, Jaquez told the team they needed to look in the mirror and decide who they wanted to be. This year? "We decided to be national champions," she said.
Lauren Betts was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, finishing her career with a program-record 278 points in the NCAA Tournament. She had a physical battle at the post and needed to overcome a throat issue early in the game. "I do it for my teammates," Betts said.
The most emotional moment came when a teary-eyed Holly Rowe asked Betts about her development off the court and her courage to share her struggles with mental health. "Basketball has given me the platform to change peoples' lives," Betts said. "I was put on this Earth not just to score points, but to help people. I've [shared] my journey because other people experience the same thing, and I'm always going to speak my truth because I know it's going to help people."
The Bruins' star seniors scored every point in the NCAA Championship Game, all finishing with nine or more points. Jaquez, Kneepkens, Betts, Rice, Dugalic, and Charlisse Leger-Walker have undoubtably left their mark on this program in a way that will outlast any record book.
"It's truly indescribable," Close said. "The loyalty, the steadfast spirit, their character that they've chosen day in and day out, I am so humbled that they've chosen to commit to our mission."
Read UCLA's championship story here .
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