Women's Final Four winners and losers include UCLA seniors and Geno Auriemma
Women's Final Four winners and losers include UCLA seniors and Geno Auriemma
Mitchell Northam, Cydney Henderson and Meghan L. Hall, USA TODAYMon, April 6, 2026 at 2:38 AM UTC
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PHOENIX — The women’s college basketball season is over after UCLA thumped South Carolina in the national title game.
Bruins center Lauren Betts was named the Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four after registering double-doubles against both Texas and the Gamecocks.
South Carolina, coached by Dawn Staley, fell short of winning its fourth national title. UConn's Geno Auriemma had his undefeated season ended, Texas' Vic Schaeffer is still chasing his elusive first title, and UCLA's Cori Close has now won her first.
Now that the season is over, it’s time to reflect on what all happened at the Final Four. Here are your winners and losers from the final weekend of the season.
1 / 0See women's March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities
The Alabama bench celebrate after a big three-point shot by Alabama Crimson Tide guard Karly Weathers (22) in the fourth quarter against Louisville during the 2026 NCAA Women's March Madness Second Round basketball at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Ky. Weathers finished with 13 points. March 23, 2026.
WinnerUCLA seniors
Lauren Betts and UCLA’s senior class got a storybook finish. All five of UCLA’s starters reached double-digits in the championship win. Gabriela Jaquez had a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds in her second double-double of the season. Gianna Kneepkens had 15, Betts added a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double, in addition to 10 points each from Charlisse Leger-Walker and Kiki Rice. Angela Dugalic added nine points off the bench.
“There's no better way that we could hope to end our career,” Rice said.
UCLA coach Cori Close
After 15 years, Cori Close won her first national championship. Close, who joined UCLA in 2011, had never made it to the Final Four before last year. After losing to UConn in the semifinal, she returned to college basketball’s biggest stage, with six seniors in tow, and won the program’s first title in the NCAA era.
“This really is a by-product and it really is only meaningful because of the people I get to share it with. I wondered how it would feel. I really did expect us to win today," Close said. "I thought about it several times. I'm like, We're going to win. I felt very peaceful all day.
“It wasn't about whether or not we got the ‘W’ or not. I wanted us to be able to play our best when our best was needed. We delivered on that. It just is so much for me not about a national championship, but it's the validation that it can be done differently.”
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South Carolina guard Agot Makeer
The South Carolina freshman established herself as a player to watch for years to come at the Final Four this weekend as she was the second leading scorer in both games for the Gamecocks. Makeer had 14 points in the win over UConn and 11 points in the loss to UCLA. In six NCAA Tournament games for South Carolina, Makeer averaged 14 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game. If she stays with the Gamecocks, she’s earned a bigger role. If she enters the transfer portal, she’ll be one of the most sought after players available.
Women coaches
The two teams who played in the women's basketball national championship were coached by women.
UCLA's Cori Close, who won her first title, faced off against South Carolina's Dawn Staley. It's been a trend of late as women have been the head coaches of both teams in five of the past seven Women's NCAA Tournament championship games, not including 2020 − when the tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Close said being part of the shift is gratifying.
"Both Dawn and I feel a sense of pride that we are able to continue to represent women that can coach at the highest levels, to promote our game," Close said. "(We) really see this as something bigger than ourselves. That's an honor."
1 / 0See photos from UCLA senior Lauren Betts MOP performanceESPN reporter Holly Rowe speaks to UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) on the podium after the win against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the National Championship game of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Mortgage Matchup Center.LosersUConn coach Geno Auriemma
The UConn head coach did not take the loss to South Carolina in the national semifinals well. Auriemma unleashed a tirade during a sideline interview with ESPN's Holly Rowe, got into a midcourt confrontation with Staley, and then double-downed on his misinterpretation of how sophomore forward Sarah Strong’s jersey was torn. It took Auriemma until the next day to apologize for his antics. On the game’s biggest stage, Auriemma looked like a sore loser.
Texas Longhorns
Texas steamrolled its way to the program’s second consecutive Final Four appearance by way of a 36-point victory over Michigan in the Elite 8. However, the Longhorns failed to advance to the national championship game following a rough shooting night. Texas forward Madison Booker was limited to six points, shooting 3-of-23 from the field and 0-of-4 from the 3-point line.
UConn's offense duo Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong
UConn stars Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong did not have a great Final Four run in Phoenix. Against South Carolina, they had a combined 20 points, shooting 7-for-31 for the field. It was one of their worst performances all season.“Yeah, they were super aggressive on defense. I thought some of our shots were a little rushed, some of our offense was a little rushed, out of pace,” Fudd said, following a 62-48 loss to the Gamecocks. “But when we got a lot of good looks, a lot of shots in our offense, shots that we are used to taking. We just didn't hit very many or enough today.”Making matters worse, Strong ripped her jersey in frustration after she missed a shot during the game. During the postgame press conference, she did little to clarify why she ripped her jersey. “It was an accident,” Strong said feebly. “Ripped it by accident."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Women's Final Four winners and losers include UCLA seniors and Geno Auriemma
Source: “AOL Sports”
