UCLA women's basketball won its first national title game in 48 years after defeating South Carolina 79-51. It was a dominant performance against a top team in the league, and UCLA looked like a team that had been in that position before. They were led by their seniors, most notably Lauren Betts, who finished the game with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks.
Outside of the championship game, she had been dominating the entire March Madness run, which led her to take home Most Outstanding Player honors. In their Final Four win against Texas, she finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks.
It has been a great season for Betts, who averaged 17.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks, while also earning All-American honors for the second consecutive season.
It's no surprise that she is slated to be a top pick in the WNBA Draft, and she's made a case to be the first player off the board when the Dallas Wings are on the clock.
As a whole, UCLA couldn't be stopped against South Carolina, and they put the pressure on them from the start. They held the Gamecocks to 29% shooting from the field and 13% from the three-point line. They dominated them on the boards, as UCLA was able to get several second-chance opportunities.
It was a big win for the program, and most notably for the seniors. It will now be up to a new group of ladies to try to get them back to the title game next season, but this win should be good momentum for them.
