PHOENIX — The NCAA women’s basketball national championship game is set as South Carolina will take on UCLA for the trophy and bragging rights as the ultimate winner.
Tip is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will air on ABC.
South Carolina handed UConn its first loss of the season on Friday night in Phoenix, defeating the Huskies 62-48 to earn a spot in the 2026 national championship game. Despite the win being overshadowed by the tense argument between head coaches, it was a strong defensive performance for the Gamecocks, who were able to keep UConn’s star Azzi Fudd and Naismith Player of the Year award winner Sarah Strong in check.
UCLA went up against a Texas team who seriously struggled shooting in the semifinal game, and was able to sneak out the win over the 2026 SEC tournament championship winner. The Bruins defeated Texas 51-44, to earn its first ever championship appearance in the NCAA Tournament era. UCLA’s only loss of the season was back on November 27 when they played Texas at the Players Era Championship.
The Bruins are led by their star center Lauren Betts, who leads the team in points and rebounds per game. Betts can certainly cause problems for many teams, often creating fouls for opponents and at 6-foot-7 is a presence in the paint on defense. UCLA also has solid guards in Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez and Charlisse Leger-Walker, who can each create scoring and passing opportunties if Betts is under pressure.
“We’re going to be challenged because they are pretty methodical in how they want to cut you apart,” South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said on Saturday when asked about UCLA. “So they got bigs, they got shooters, they got a point guard that’s super smart. They’re complete.”
It will be interesting to watch the defensive plan South Carolina has for Betts given her height. Raven Johnson and Joyce Edwards did a solid job guarding Fudd and Strong in the last game, but Betts height serves a different challenge for Sunday.
“They have a really dominant post, which is Lauren Betts. She also has really good guards around her, too. They’re seniors. They’re very experienced. I think they do a really good job of playing well with each other, playing off each other. I think we have to do a really good job of doing what the coaches have for us, executing the game plan they have,” Johnson said.
South Carolina has plenty of people who contribute on offense for the Gamecocks, with five players averaging double digit points per game this season. Freshman Agot Makeer has really come alive in the NCAA tournament, stepping up in scoring and solid minutes. But in any given game South Carolina can have any one player raise their level to cause havoc for opponents.
“We’re going to have to go into it and really give everything that we possibly can for 40 minutes. There’s no letting up. I think against a team like that, it’s going to be about our aggressiveness, on both ends of the floor,” Betts said. “Offensively not letting them take us out of our game, finding each other when we need to. Defensively limiting them to one shot and rebounding. I don’t care how many rebounds we all get, as long as we get the boards.”
According to FanDuel odds, South Carolina is a 3.5 favorite over UCLA. The Gamecocks have been here before, making their fifth national championship appearance on Sunday. Experience can often be helpful at the biggest moments, and that could give South Carolina a slight edge.
Prediction: South Carolina 68, UCLA 58
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