UCLA wins NCAA women’s title over South Carolina

UCLA won the NCAA women’s basketball national championship after defeating South Carolina 78-74 on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.

The result delivered a major tournament surprise, as South Carolina entered the title game unbeaten and widely viewed as the favorite. Officials said the loss ended South Carolina’s perfect season, while UCLA’s win secured the program’s first national championship in women’s basketball.

Freshman center Lauren Betts played a central role in the title run and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. In the championship game, Betts recorded 21 points and 11 rebounds, providing UCLA with consistent production on both ends of the floor and anchoring key stretches of the contest.

The championship closed UCLA’s season at 34-4. South Carolina finished 37-1, with the defeat in the final standing as the team’s only loss of the season.

What it means is that the tournament ended with a new champion and a notable shift in the competitive landscape at the top of the women’s college game. The outcome underscored how a combination of tactical execution and standout individual performance can overturn expectations, even against an opponent that had not lost all season.

From a broader perspective, the title adds a new program to the list of national champions and places UCLA at the center of the sport’s biggest stage. The game’s setting in Cleveland, Ohio, also reinforced the national footprint of the championship event, drawing attention beyond any single region.

Key unknowns remain outside the final scoreline, including how the result will shape near-term roster decisions and program planning across the top tier of women’s college basketball. What is clear from the official outcome is that UCLA’s first title came by beating an undefeated opponent, with Betts’ award and stat line serving as the defining individual markers of the tournament.