UCLA blows out South Carolina, wins 2026 WBB national championship game
It’s national championship Sunday.
After upsetting UConn Friday, coach Dawn Staley’s South Carolina women’s basketball team is playing UCLA in the national title game (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
The No. 1 Gamecocks are seeking their fourth national championship in nine years, while No. 1 UCLA is seeking its first ever Division I title for women’s basketball.
The State’s Michael Sauls and Chapel Fowler are on site providing live updates from Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix. Along with this story, you can follow along via Sauls’ X account and the GoGamecocks X account.
Final score: UCLA 79, South Carolina 51
It’s over. UCLA blows out South Carolina to win its first national championship, while the Gamecocks lose in the championship game for the second straight year. USC lost that one to UConn by 23 points. Sunday’s result was even worse.
Q4 media timeout: UCLA 76, South Carolina 43
The rout is on. No drama here as UCLA maintains a healthy lead.
3:46 left in the fourth quarter.
End Q3: UCLA 61, South Carolina 32
UCLA plays lights out in the third quarter, outscoring South Carolina to blow the game open. The Bruins have led by as many as 31 points this afternoon and dominated in the hustle stats.
UCLA is out-rebounding USC by 13 (41-28) and is +14 in second-chance points (20-6). The largest comeback in women’s championship game history is 15 points (Notre Dame over Mississippi State in 2018). The Gamecocks are well past that.
Q3 media timeout: UCLA 48, South Carolina 28
This one is getting away from South Carolina. After cutting its deficit to 13 points at halftime, USC comes out and gets blitzed. UCLA ripped off a 12-1 run to go up 22 points (48-26) and force Staley to call a timeout.
4:52 to go in the third quarter.
Halftime: UCLA 36, South Carolina 23
The Bruins take an 13-point lead into the break. Things were getting dicey for USC, but coach Dawn Staley made two excellent adjustments that impacted UCLA and will probably roll over to the second half: Zone defense and a full-court press.
The Gamecocks are 9 of 35 from the field and just 4 of 10 on layups.
Q2 media timeout: UCLA 32, South Carolina
UCLA is outscoring South Carolina 11-7 so far in the period and has led by as many as 15 points. The Gamecocks are 6-28 (21%) from the field.
4:34 left in the second quarter.
End Q1: UCLA 21, South Carolina 10
UCLA ends the quarter on an 8-0 run, capped off by guard Kiki Rice’s stepback 3-pointer at the buzzer. That is the Bruins’ largest lead of the game. South Carolina shot just 3 of 18 (16%) and 1 for 5 on 3-pointers in the first period.
Q1 media timeout: UCLA 13, South Carolina 6
UCLA with an early lead. Gamecocks have missed 6 of their last 7 shots.
4:54 left in the first quarter.
Game’s starters
South Carolina starters:
- G Raven Johnson
- G Ta’Niya Latson
- G Tessa Johnson
- F Joyce Edwards
- C Madina Okot
UCLA’s starters:
- G Kiki Rice
- G Charlisse Leger-Walker
- G Gianna Kneepkens
- F Gabriela Jaquez
- C Lauren Betts
Gamecocks warming up
USC is on site for the championship game:
Final injury reports for national championship
There are no injury surprises for the 2026 national championship game, according to the teams’ NCAA final availability reports posted Sunday afternoon.
South Carolina will be without forwards Chloe Kitts and Adhel Tac, both of whom are rehabbing long-term injuries. Kitts tore her ACL in the offseason and is redshirting this season. Tac hasn’t played since Feb. 5.
UCLA will be down Timea Gardiner (redshirting after offseason knee injury) and Megan Grant (two-sport athlete who left the team once softball season started). Neither has appeared in the NCAA Tournament for the Bruins.
Both teams’ regular starters and rotation players will be available.
2026 national title: What’s at stake?
With a win Sunday, South Carolina’s Staley would become only the fourth coach to win four Division I women’s basketball national championships (Geno Auriemma, Pat Summitt, Kim Mulkey). Staley is already the first Black coach (male or female) to win more than one Division I basketball national title.
The Gamecocks would also move out of a tie with Stanford into standalone third place for the most D1 women’s basketball championships with four, only trailing UConn under Auriemma (12) and Tennessee under Summitt (eight).
UCLA won the 1978 AIAW women’s basketball title but is seeking its first ever Division I championship. Bruins coach Cori Close, who has coached UCLA since 2010 and is in her 15th season, would also win her first championship.
How they got here
No. 1 South Carolina’s path to the 2026 Final Four:
- Round of 64: Beat No. 16 Southern 103-34 in Columbia
- Round of 32: Beat No. 9 Southern Cal 101-61 in Columbia
- Sweet 16: Beat No. 4 Oklahoma 94-68 in Sacramento
- Elite Eight: Beat No. 3 TCU 78-52 in Sacramento
- Final Four: Beat No. 1 UConn 62-48 in Phoenix
And No. 2 overall seed UCLA’s path to the title:
- Round of 64: Beat No. 16 Cal Baptist 96-43
- Round of 32: Beat No. 8 Oklahoma State 87-68
- Sweet 16: Beat No. 4 Minnesota 80-56
- Elite Eight: Beat No. 3 Duke 70-58
- Final Four: Beat No. 1 Texas 51-44
Final betting line
South Carolina is a consensus betting favorite for the game, but the point spread is close. DraftKings and FanDuel both list the Gamecocks as a 3.5-point favorite against the Bruins (who have a better record and are a higher overall NCAA seed).
ESPN analytics give USC a 52.5% chance of winning. UCLA is at 47.5%.
South Carolina vs. UCLA game, TV info
- Who: No. 1 South Carolina (36-3) vs. No. 1 UCLA (36-1)
- Where: Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix
- When: 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday
- TV: ABC
- Radio: 106.7 FM in Columbia area or the USC Gamecocks app
- Stream: Via watchespn.com or the ESPN app
This story was originally published April 5, 2026 at 2:00 PM with the headline "UCLA blows out South Carolina, wins 2026 WBB national championship game."
