PHOENIX – When UCLA takes the court in search of its first women’s basketball national championship on Sunday, the Bruins will be lining up against a South Carolina program that has become the national standard over the course of the last decade.
UCLA opened as 2.5 point underdogs for the title game, despite the fact that the Bruins are riding a 30-game win streak and have been the nation’s most consistent outfit from start to finish this season. Of course, that’s in large part because of South Carolina’s history on this stage and the Gamecocks’ statement win over previously unbeaten UConn in Friday’s first semifinal.
With a win on Sunday, South Carolina will become just the third program in women’s NCAA history to win a fourth national title, alongside UConn and Tennessee. It needs nary an explanation how historically significant that achievement would be. Not only that, a win would tie Dawn Staley with Kim Mulkey for third with a fourth national title, which would all but cement her place on the sport’s Mount Rushmore.
And yet, as daunting as the task of facing off with South Carolina for a championship is, the Gamecocks are well aware of the threat their opponent possesses as well. Most programs that have been on the national championship stage for the first time haven’t yet established themselves as a national power the same way the Bruins have over the course of the last few seasons. For UCLA, a national championship hasn’t necessarily been a matter of if, but a matter of when. And of course, it would be extra sweet if UCLA was able to reach the top of the mountain before USC was able to get back.
“It’s two teams wanting to win a championship,” South Carolina forward Ta’Niya Latson said. “They’re not going to lie down just because we’re South Carolina. It's going to be a really physical game. So we can't, you know, feed into the refs or anything like that. We’ve got to just play South Carolina basketball.”
What they're used to
One thing that plays into South Carolina’s favor in a physical matchup like Sunday’s is expected to be, is the fact that these kinds of matchups are mostly commonplace in the SEC. It’s been a low-scoring NCAA Tournament as a whole, defined in large part by hard-nosed defense and inconsistent shot-making across the board. In other words, these are the games that South Carolina and the rest of the SEC tend to thrive in when it comes to March Madness.
If UCLA’s statement defensive performance against Texas on Friday proved anything, it’s that the Bruins are just as physical as anyone in the SEC. If not more. Texas, who beat South Carolina twice in three matchups this season, was limited to a historically poor offensive outing in large part because of Lauren Betts’ post presence and UCLA’s strength from one through five. Still, South Carolina star forward Joyce Edwards believes the Gamecocks’ SEC schedule still gives them an advantage in this game despite the woes Texas suffered.
“The matchup is going to be great,” Edwards said. “I feel like the NCAA Tournament has been a bit more physical, and we come from the SEC where it’s already physical. It goes in our favor a little bit. But we just need to be physical. We have to play solid defense, similar to how we did against UConn. We have to get our offense flowing. And if we do all that, we do the intangibles, we limit their 3-point makes, I feel like we should be fine.”
Another crack at each other
The last time these programs met, the outcome favored the Bruins. That fateful 77-62 triumph in Westwood on Nov. 24, 2024 was a defining win for Cori Close and the program, one that proved the Bruins weren’t just a turnstile in the top 10 but a legitimate contending power in the sport. Junior guard Tessa Johnson has fond memories of the Gamecocks’ trip to Los Angeles for that that autumn matchup, but insists it has little bearing on Sunday’s matchup.
“Honestly, it was great,” Johnson said. “I remember the loss, but like I keep saying, obviously that doesn't matter now. That was last year. What matters is how they're playing right now. That’s kind of what we've been focusing on … They have a good inside game, outside game. They are hard workers, like everyone else. Like I keep saying, every possession matters. We're going to just have to limit them to what they are good at, and stay connected defensively and just believe.”
While her teammates were a little bit more open with their expectations for the title game, Johnson knows the Gamecocks are in for another back-and-forth battle not unlike the one they faced on Friday against UConn and all season in the SEC.
“It’s going to go back and forth,” Johnson said. “They’re going to have their runs, we’re going to have ours. You can never really expect anything, there’s no point, because there’s things you just can’t control. What we can control is our belief and our energy out there, and just focus on us.”
Gamecock forward Agot Makeer has a similar thought process. Despite the fact that South Carolina and UCLA have had meaningful bouts in recent years, Makeer isn’t thinking much of the history between the programs entering tomorrow’s national title shot.
“We haven’t seen this team (this season)”, Makeer said. “I think we’re just going to trust our scout and put in work to be ready for Sunday … We expect a physical game, especially in the post. Guards and post players need to be ready. We’re going to have to push the ball.”