NCAA South Carolina UCLA Basketball

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley motions towards the court during the first half of the women's National Championship Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament game against UCLA, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Phoenix.

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After getting 'smacked' again in title game, South Carolina's Staley plots program's next moves

After getting 'smacked' again in title game, South Carolina's Staley plots program's next moves

South Carolina’s quest to win a fourth national title ended in ugly fashion for a second straight season when the Gamecocks lost to UCLA 79-51 in the NCAA women’s basketball title game. Even so, the monster program that Dawn Staley has built over the past 15 years doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere. South Carolina should be one of the top contenders to make a seventh straight Final Four in 2027 and it will have plenty of motivation after Sunday’s debacle. The Gamecocks shot just 29% from the field and the 28-point margin was among the biggest in championship game history.

UCLA faces a massive rebuild after a historic NCAA title run as the transfer portal opens

UCLA faces a massive rebuild after a historic NCAA title run as the transfer portal opens

Cori Close and the UCLA Bruins are going to have to work hard to repeat as champions. They lose their top six players to graduation after putting on one of the most dominant performances in championship history to win their first NCAA title and second overall, routing South Carolina by 28 points. But with the transfer portal opening Monday, the UCLA coach can build a new team quickly. Close has said that the school will be very active, looking to add five players. Challenging the Bruins will be the runner-up Gamecocks and coach Dawn Staley. The Gamecocks will be one of the favorites for the title when the Final Four moves to Columbus, Ohio, next year.