No. 1-seed UCLA has now advanced further than last year, when they reached their first-ever Final Four. They are playing No. 1-seed South Carolina in the national championship game on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN.
UCLA was disrespected by not being given the No. 1-overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, and now they, the No. 2-overall seed, are the betting underdog against the No. 4-overall seed (according to Draft Kings Sportsbook; SC -3.5).
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Admittedly, through much of the tourney, the Bruins were the least impressive of the No. 1-seeds, all of whom advanced to the Final Four in Phoenix. However, in the national semifinals, they took down the team that had been most impressive in the Texas Longhorns.
The Bruins were my pick to win it all at the beginning of the Dance. I felt they were the second-best team on paper next to UConn and that their positive vibes of seeking a first NCAA championship would carry them to the mountain top.
Fast forward to now, and you could argue that they should be favored against the Gamecocks. But South Carolina is the most feared program in the sport, having, in my opinion, already taken that title from UConn before besting the Huskies on Friday night.
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As it did with Texas (the No. 3-overall seed who defeated South Carolina by 17 points in the SEC title game) and as it would have with UConn (a team that went nine deep with impact players), it’s going to take a special effort to triumph over the mighty Gamecocks.
Here’s five things that need to happen for the Bruins to cut down the net.
1. Slow down Agot Makeer!
South Carolina freshman Agot Makeer has been on a tear. She had just three double-digit scoring performances prior to the NCAA Tournament, yet has reached double figures in every game of the tourney and is averaging 14.6 points and 2.4 steals.
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You might think that it’s more important to shut down the Gamecocks’ more established stars, who are some of the best players in the country. But Makeer made the key 3 that took the wind out of UConn’s sails on Friday. The Bruins need to prevent her from continuing to come up big in the clutch.
2. Lauren Betts needs to disrupt Joyce Edwards and Ta’Niya Latson
UCLA has the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts. Her length got in Madison Booker’s head in the semifinal against Texas. Booker is so far ahead of the pack as the best midrange shooter in the nation, it’s not even funny. Yet she went 3-for-23 from the field on Friday, and many of those misses were from mid-range.
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South Carolina has a good mid-range shooter in Joyce Edwards, who is also an elite scorer in transition and on cuts to the basket. Meanwhile, Ta’Niya Latson is obviously a versatile, three-level scorer, having led the country in scoring in 2024-25 at Florida State. If Betts can take away their midrange games, as well as many of their shots at the basket, it should prevent them from having dominant nights.
3. Keep the ball moving on offense to alleviate 1-on-1 pressure from Raven Johnson
Raven Johnson is the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and made it difficult for UConn guards who wasted too much time dribbling.
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UCLA has so many weapons; their goal should always be to keep the ball moving, but especially against Johnson. Point guard Charlisse Leger-Walker has averaged just 4.6 points in the tourney, including zero against Texas, but 6.4 assists. She knows she doesn’t need to blow past Johnson and relive her Washington State days, when she was the go-to scorer.
The Bruins should want to see a lot of possessions with multiple ball reversals that get all of Betts, Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Gianna Kneepkens and Angela Dugalić involved. Betts is the only one who has been great in all five tournament games, but that’s the point. A different player can step up every night, so nobody needs to take on South Carolina on their own.
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4. Match or surpass season average for made 3s
On the season, UCLA averages 7.1 made 3s per game compared to South Carolina’s 6.1. The Bruins are No. 11 in the nation with an efficiency of 36.8; the Gamecocks are actually better at 37.6.
Long-range shooting is a big part of UCLA’s identity, and they need to excel in pretty much every area they’re good in to accomplish the incredibly difficult feat of beating South Carolina. So, I think they should be looking to make at least seven triples.
In the tournament, they’ve only reached seven once—that was in the second round vs. Oklahoma State. They’re averaging 4.4 per contest, only making four in the semifinal and just two in the Elite Eight vs. Duke.
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This is something they should have circled on their game plan.
5. Lauren Betts doesn’t need to be the best player on the floor—but it’d be nice
Betts’ projected selection spot in the 2026 WNBA Draft has fallen this season and she didn’t win National Player of the Year, with that award going to UConn’s Sarah Strong. But the First Team All-American is currently primed for her shining moment—the one she cares about most, which is leading the program and teammates she has loved so passionately for three years to the ultimate prize.
She has been phenomenal in the Big Dance, with 22.4 points, nine rebounds, 3.4 assists, three blocks and one steal per game while shooting 70.1 percent from the field. She double-doubles in the first round, Elite Eight and Final Four. She had five blocks in both the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. And she put together a 35-point (15-for-19 from the field), nine-rebound, five-assist masterpiece in the second round.
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I personally think the Bruins can still win if Betts isn’t the best player out of both teams on Sunday. Their story all year has been that they’re a complete team.
But it would only be fitting if Betts has a monster game in the title bout to slay the monster that is South Carolina and end her college career on top.
