The once-unbeaten team has fallen. There will be a new champion of women’s college basketball. Just 40 regulation minutes separate heroism from heartbreak, inscription from blank space. No one wants to be on the sad side of a confetti drop.
UCLA arrives in pursuit of its first NCAA title, while South Carolina goes for a fourth banner in the last decade. Lauren Betts is ready to dance. Dawn Staley has more to say. These No. 1 seeds are evenly matched and amply motivated. Here’s what to know before tipoff.
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All efficiency stats from BartTorvik.com.
How to watch UCLA vs. South Carolina in 2026 national championship game
Venue: Mortgage Matchup Center — Phoenix
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET, Sunday
TV: ABC, ESPN
Streaming: Fubo (Stream Free Now)
Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub.
ABC is free over the air. ABC and ESPN are also available with an ESPN Unlimited subscription.
How UCLA got here
Cori Close’s crew is No. 1 in offensive rating and No. 4 on defense. The entire starting five could go in the first round of this month’s WNBA Draft. Clean looks develop in bursts.
First-team All-American Lauren Betts is a perpetual mismatch, towering in the paint and rolling off of screens. Kiki Rice and Charlisse Leger-Walker initiate with the ball; Gabriela Jaquez and Gianna Kneepkens zip the perimeter without it.
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UCLA is 36-1, but its last two wins have been rocky. It trailed Duke at halftime of the Elite Eight, only to rally around Betts down the stretch. The senior center was brilliant — 23 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and five blocks. The teammates orbiting her struggled nonetheless and finished 2-for-14 beyond the arc.
The Bruins’ fleet, artful offense was unrecognizable in the Final Four tussle with Texas. UCLA scored just 20 in the first half, done in by an unsightly six-point second quarter. On the whole, four of its five starters had at least four turnovers. Once again, though, Betts was the steadying force — a team-high 16 points on 70 percent shooting, 11 boards and the game-saving stuff of Madison Booker.
Despite its pro-ready polish, UCLA is winning with lockdown defense as of late. Booker, a fellow first-team All-American, saw her game contorted into 3-of-23 nightmare fuel. Toby Fournier, Duke’s lead option, was held to a modest 10 points. One more disciplined effort would line the program up for its inaugural NCAA net-cutting.
How South Carolina got here
Staley is the face of a new frontier in women’s basketball. Her pull was tested by the dynastic old guard on Friday night — and garnet washed the bluest of blue bloods into the drain. The tough, pressurized Gamecock defense left then-perfect UConn at 31/29 percent shooting splits. All-Americans Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd went a combined 7-for-31.
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South Carolina has won all five rounds by at least 14 points. Joyce Edwards is averaging 18.6 points and 9.4 boards per tournament game. She’s a strong finisher with a coast-to-coast motor.
Three seniors keep gears turning around the sophomore forward. Ta’Niya Latson scored 28 points in the Sweet 16 defeat of Oklahoma. Raven Johnson had six dimes and made two 3s in the Elite Eight matchup with TCU. Madina Okot bottled up UConn at the rim Friday.
The Gamecocks sit third in both offensive and defensive ratings. Like their best squads throughout the years, this group is well-balanced and audacious. South Carolina leads with its defense without junking the game.
Staley isn’t afraid of the moment — but the moment just might be afraid of Staley. With a fourth ring, she would tie Kim Mulkey for the third-most all-time.
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What to know about the broadcast
Ryan Ruocco is on play-by-play for ABC. His “you bet!” call punctuates big shots. It’s also a lot of fun to shout at home. Ruocco is joined by NCAA champion Rebecca Lobo for color commentary, and Holly Rowe reports from the floor. This is the trio’s sixth Final Four weekend together.
In addition, Christine Williamson anchors the on-site championship game studio alongside Andraya Carter and Chiney Ogwumike.
ESPN has a courtside alt-cast. Commercials and studio coverage go unchanged, but there are new audio and camera angles. Jess Sims is the host. WNBA star Chelsea Gray and rugby player Ilona Maher break down the action, while influencer Katie Feeney contributes with interviews and fan reactions. It’s a more casual, conversational alternative to ABC’s main broadcast.
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A postgame show will air on ESPN at 6 p.m. ET. The winner lifts hardware and enters the historical record. The loser hears “what if?” echoing as it takes the last exit.
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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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