PHOENIX – Their coach had been pushing them toward this moment all season, through every triumph, every heartache.
Get better, no matter the result, she told her players. Focus on the process. Play with freedom and joy, surrendering the outcome.
The belief was that it could lead to a day like Sunday.
After saying for months that she would not allow one 40-minute game to define the season, UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close would presumably relent on that stance given the display her team put on in the national championship game.
Taking it to the Gamecocks from the opening tip, the Bruins put together their most complete game of the tournament, rolling to a 79-51 victory inside the Mortgage Matchup Center.
With UCLA (37-1) holding a 29-point cushion entering the fourth quarter, the final 10 minutes amounted to a head start on the celebration.
It’s the first NCAA championship for a program that has long honored the 1978 title it won behind Ann Meyers and Denise Curry back when it played in the AIAW.
Their retired jerseys could soon be joined in the Pauley Pavilion rafters by those of Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez, who had their fingerprints all over elevating this program to new heights.
The trio combined for 45 points against South Carolina (36-4), which could not overcome its wretched shooting. The Gamecocks made just 29 percent of their shots and missed 12 of 14 3-pointers.
Unlike their victory over Texas two days earlier, when they persevered in a rock fight, the Bruins came out playing fast and free against the Gamecocks.
With Jaquez feeding Betts in the post repeatedly, the Bruins got some easy baskets while building an early nine-point lead that swelled to 13 points by halftime.
What it means
UCLA is a full-fledged basketball school once more.
The women’s first NCAA title ended the school’s 31-year championship drought in men’s and women’s basketball that started after Ed O’Bannon and the 1995 men’s team.
Those 11 NCAA championship banners won by O’Bannon, Lew Alcindor and so many other legends will be joined by a new one honoring the women in addition to the 1978 AIAW title.
Turning point
After South Carolina was on the verge of cutting its deficit to single digits early in the third quarter, the Bruins responded with a 12-1 run.
Jaquez fed Betts inside for a layup. Jaquez made a putback in traffic. Charlisse Leger-Walker made a 3-pointer in transition after Rice came up with a steal.
The Bruins were well on their way.
When a Betts block triggered a fastbreak ending in a Jaquez layup, UCLA was up 48-26 midway through the third quarter and the celebration could begin.
MVP
With her older brother Jaime – the current Miami Heat forward and former UCLA star – watching in person after flying in from Miami, Gabriela Jaquez put on the performance of a lifetime.
She nearly flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists while also infusing her team with her relentless spirit. Most of her assists came on post feeds that sparked the Bruins’ offense.
When Jaquez headed to the bench for a breather with 6½ minutes left, UCLA fans serenaded her with “MVP!” chants. She wasn’t done, adding a 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock that she celebrated with an extended roar before earning a hug from Close once she finally left for good.
Up next
These teams will be well represented again next week in the WNBA draft. UCLA could have as many as six players – Betts, Rice, Jaquez, Kneepkens, Leger-Walker and Angela Dugalic – selected in the first round and South Carolina could have three in Raven Johnson, Ta’Niya Latson and Madina Okot.
