A national champion will be crowned Sunday afternoon when South Carolina meets UCLA after both teams delivered dominant defensive Final Four performances.
South Carolina enters with the edge in experience. Head coach Dawn Staley is seeking her third national title in five seasons, and the Gamecocks enter with momentum after a 14‑point win over previously unbeaten UConn. Ta’Niya Latson led the way with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while South Carolina’s defense held the Huskies in check throughout.
UCLA, meanwhile, is playing for its first national championship in program history. The Bruins earned their spot with a smothering defensive effort against Texas, holding the Longhorns to 31% shooting. Senior center Lauren Betts anchored the win with 16 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks on 7-of-10 shooting from the field.
“She (Lauren Betts) brings about a great challenge,” Staley said after the team’s Saturday practice. “She’s the focal point and when your big is the focal point it’s really hard… everybody’s challenged when teams work inside out and Lauren can just see it all and is patient enough to read the defenses and pass the ball where it’s supposed to go or bet on herself.”
Both teams bring elite balance. UCLA ranks No. 1 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 4 in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to Bart Torvik. South Carolina sits at No. 3 in both categories and has been tested repeatedly, facing one-seeded Texas three times this season before knocking off UConn.
The Bruins lean on a veteran five of Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Betts, Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger‑Walker, all seniors with deep postseason experience of their own. South Carolina does have a blend of youth and impact transfers, including sophomore standout Joyce Edwards and a guard trio of Latson and returners Raven Johnson and Tessa Johnson.
“We’re just going to go out there and be ourselves,” Raven Johnson said. “Execute what the coaches have for us and we have a high standard here and that’s keeping the main thing the main thing. This is no different than other Final Fours or championships, it’s a whole new team but at the end of the day we want one end goal and that is to win a national championship.”
Freshman Agot Makeer has also emerged as a key contributor off the bench, scoring in double figures in every NCAA tournament game thus far.
Stylistically, UCLA prefers to slow the pace and play through Betts in the post. South Carolina doesn’t have Texas’ size inside, but the Gamecocks still finished No. 2 nationally in opponent two‑point percentage and limited UConn star Sarah Strong to 4-for‑16 shooting in the semifinal. Offensively, South Carolina’s perimeter shooting could be a deciding factor against UCLA’s interior strength.
UCLA head coach Cori Close spoke on what she learned after splitting the last two matchups with South Carolina, “What I remember is the team that rebounds the best and defends the best down the stretch won both of those games. I’ve been on both sides of that and I don’t think it’s probably going to be that different.”
Both teams have the talent and defensive discipline to control the game, and Sunday’s matchup has the makings of a physical, possession‑by‑possession championship battle, so keep refreshing this page for complete coverage of all the action.
