UCLA vs. South Carolina: NCAA Division I National Championship

UCLA vs South Carolina, tipoff 3:30 p.m.

South Carolina’s stalwart defense and clutch free-throw shooting carried them to achieve what every team that faced UConn had failed to do this season — earn a hard-fought victory over the unbeaten.

And, although Texas mounted a determined comeback to chip away at UCLA’s cushion, the Bruins held on to claim their first-ever appearance on the final stage at the 2026 NCAA Division I National Championship.

At last, the long-awaited feeling of championship madness has arrived. Today’s matchup features two No. 1 seeds, a top team from the SEC conference and the Big Ten conference champs.

Tipoff is 3:30 p.m. The championship game is taking place at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona and is live on ABC.

The Huskies 54-game winning streak was snapped by a 14-point loss to the Gamecocks, who put on a defensive masterclass. They only shot 38 percent from the field.

South Carolina’s defense was enough to hold off UConn’s star players, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, who shot a combined 23 percent from the field. 

UConn Head Coach Geno Auriemma was adamant throughout the whole game that the sluggish offense was not why the Huskie’s offense largely imploded, but rather the officiating, mentioning the free throw disparity in an on-air interview at the end of the third. 

Auriemma was not the only member of the UConn team that displayed immense frustration. Strong ripped her jersey at the end of the third in what some are calling an unsportsmanlike display. 

To end the largely unprofessional game from the Huskie’s side of the court, the two head coaches from either team got into a heated exchange, which Gamecock’s head coach Dawn Staley claimed she didn’t understand Auriemma’s frustration. 

The Texas vs. UCLA game did not show the same level of aggressive competitiveness, but it was an offensive battle in the final minutes of regulation. 

In a shocking change from their regular season offense, Texas scored only 28 points in the first three quarters of play, falling behind 45-32 with only a little over four minutes left in the game. 

But a complete mindset shift in the Longhorns earned them a 12-2 scoring run over the Bruins to cut their lead to 47-44.

The Longhorns were down to only 20 seconds left in regulation, and offense became the name of the game for both teams. 

Texas All American Madison Booker had the chance to cut the lead to one to give the Longhorns a chance, but star center Lauren Betts with the block seen around the world gave the Bruins another coveted possession. 

Booker didn’t live up to her standards, shooting 3-for-23 with no free-throw attempts. She event stumbled on a final layup attempt that might have closed the gap.

UCLA will face South Carolina in the National Championship, which is expected to be a merciless competition between the two teams. 

Many are wondering who will be the National Championship now that the undefeated queens are out, but there is hardly any history between the two teams to learn from. These teams have only matched up five times with UCLA winning the most recent matchup in November of 2024. 

Both teams relied heavily on their defense to win their Final Four matchups, but their regular season performances have shown that they can let their respective offenses overpower almost any opponent when on the top of their games. 

Keep an eye on whether or not UCLA’s defense can shut down powerful inside scorer Joyce Edwards after using all their effort to shut down Madison Booker Friday night. Edwards presents a very different challenge for the Bruins though, she plays her best with her back to the basket and can easily take over a fourth quarter playing on the glass. 

Though play in the paint will be a deciding factor in who walks away with the trophy, the winning edge for the UCLA Bruins will be Kiki Rice. The freshman struggled from the floor on Friday going two of five, but throughout the tournament she has been solid averaging 13 points and five rebounds. 

Raven Johnson, the Gamecock’s strongest defensive guard, will likely be guarding Rice and giving her possibly her biggest challenge of the season. The determining factor for which team will walk away with the trophy is if Johnson can hold down Rice or if Rice will be too quick and lead the UCLA offense.

Thank you for reading Female Athlete News. Clara Romae Slowinski is a student-intern at Penn State University.