UCLA Bruins dominate South Carolina 79-51 to claim first women's basketball NCAA title

Local News UCLA Bruins dominate South Carolina 79-51 to claim first women's basketball NCAA title By Austin Turner Austin Turner Web Producer, CBS News Los Angeles Austin Turner is a web producer at CBS News Los Angeles. An Inland Empire native, Austin earned a degree in journalism from San Jose State University in 2020. Before joining CBS News in 2025, he worked at KTLA, the San Jose Mercury News, the Sedona Red Rock News and various other outlets as a news and sports reporter. Read Full Bio Austin Turner April 5, 2026 / 5:48 PM EDT / CBS LA Add CBS News on Google To be the best, you need to beat the best, and the UCLA Bruins women's basketball team did that with an exclamation point on Sunday to climb the mountaintop.They (37-1) dismantled South Carolina 79-51 in the 2026 NCAA National Championship Game to earn their first title since joining in 1981. PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 05: Charlisse Leger-Walker #5 and Lauren Betts #51 of the UCLA Bruins react after a timeout was called by the South Carolina Gamecocks during the third quarter in the National Championship of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 05, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. Christian Petersen / Getty Images The emphatic victory capped off a dominant run through March Madness for the Bruins, led by 6-foot-7 senior center Lauren Betts, who led the team in scoring in four of their six games. She had 14 points and 11 rebounds during Sunday's historic win.UCLA put its foot on the gas early, surviving an injury scare to Betts, who received treatment on the bench after appearing to be hit in the throat. It finished the first quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 21-10 lead into the second.The Gamecocks held their own in the second, but were still outscored 15-13 as the Bruins took a 36-23 lead at the half. PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 05: Raven Johnson #25 of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts during the second quarter against the UCLA Bruins in the National Championship of the NCAA Wom...