GAME NOTES: SOUTH CAROLINA VS. UCLA

(GAMECOCKS NOTES)

GAMECOCK NOTABLES • Head coach Dawn Staley is fifth all-time in NCAA Tournament winning percentage (.771). She has led the Gamecocks to their third-straight national championship game, matching the second-longest streak in tournament history. • Today’s game is the Gamecocks’ 19th this season against a ranked opponent, matching the 2024-25 team’s program record. Their 15 ranked wins already matches that team’s success against the nation’s best. • South Carolina’s defense is holding opponents to just 52.6 points per game in this NCAA Tournament. In their three wins over ranked foes at the event, it yielded just 56.0 points per outing. • The Gamecocks have thrived after halftime this postseason, out-scoring opponents by an average of 8.3 points in the period to highlight a +13.9 scoring margin in the second half. • All-American forward Joyce Edwards has been strong on the glass in the NCAA Tournament, grabbing 9.4 boards per outing over the last five games, including a pair of double-doubles. • Senior Ta’Niya Latson joined the Gamecocks to play on the biggest stage in college basketball, and she has thrived in the spotlight. She averages 15.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and a team-high 4.2 assists in the NCAA Tournament. • Senior Raven Johnson is 20-2 in the NCAA Tournament across the last four seasons with her 22 games tied for the most played by a Gamecock at the event. She holds program records for assists (72) and steals (37) in career NCAA Tournament games. • Playing just 20.4 minutes per NCAA Tournament game, senior center Madina Okot still averages a double-double at the event with 10.2 points and 10.0 rebounds per outing. She is shooting 61.8 percent from the field. • Junior Tessa Johnson has been doing it all in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 11.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists over the last three weekends. She is shooting 52.3 percent from the field and 55.0 from 3-point range. • Freshman Agot Makeer has had no fear in her debut NCAA Tournament, ranking third on the team with 14.6 points per game on 55.6 percent shooting, including 45.5 percent from 3-point range.

Perennial Power Under Dawn Staley, South Carolina women’s basketball had been a perennial national power since winning its first SEC title in 2013-14. A few highlights from that stretch. • 6 straight NCAA Final Four appearances (2021-2026) is the longest active streak and the second-longest streak in tournament history. • 3 National Championships are third most by a single program in tournament history. • 10th undefeated National Championship season in NCAA history (2023-24) • 84 AP No. 1 rankings are third-most by a program in the poll’s history. • 136 straight AP Top-10 rankings is the longest active streak – more than three times the next program • 15 Gamecocks have earned All-America status at least once in their careers The UCLA Series The Gamecocks are 4-2 all-time against UCLA with a 4-1 mark in the Staley era (beginning 2008-09 season). One of those meetings was in the NCAA Tournament with South Carolina winning 59-43 on Mar. 25, 2023, in the Sweet 16. UCLA won the most recent meeting between the two, handing Staley her first loss in the series with a 77-62 victory on Nov. 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. The Bruins shot lights out in the first half to take a 43-22 lead into the break.

Gamecocks Against the Field This season, South Carolina faced 13 of the 68 teams in the NCAA Tournament field, four of which were also in the Sacramento 4 Region, and went 15-3 against those teams. In addition to their nine league rivals in the overall field – Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas, Vanderbilt – South Carolina played nonconference games against Clemson, vs. Southern Cal, vs. Duke and at Louisville. The 13 teams include a No. 1 seed, two No. 2 seeds, two No. 3 seeds, a No. 4 seed, two No. 5 seeds, a No. 6 seed, a No. 7 seed, a No. 8 seed, a No. 9 seed and a No. 11 seed. Tournament Talk South Carolina is in its 22nd NCAA Tournament and its 14th straight under head coach Dawn Staley. The Gamecocks are 60-18 (.769) overall in the event, giving them the third-best winning percentage in tournament history. This season marks their third-straight appearance in the National Championship game – the second-longest streak in tournament history – and their fourth in the last five tournaments. South Carolina is 3-1 in NCAA title games. The Gamecocks have been a regional No. 1 seed 10 times, including three seasons as the overall No. 1 seed (2022, 2023, 2024). They are 44-6 (.880) as a No. 1 seed. In her 26th season as a head coach, Staley has taken a team to the NCAA Tournament 20 times with a 54-16 (.771), ranking third among active coaches and fifth all-time in winning percentage at the event. At South Carolina, she is 52-10 (.839), including a 26-2 (.929) mark since 2022. In the first two rounds of this tournament, South Carolina set several program NCAA Tournament highs – +69 margin of victory, 24 assists and 39 defensive rebounds (tied) against Southern; 17 steals vs. Southern Cal and .714 3-point percentage against Oklahoma. Ta’Niya Latson’s 28 points against Oklahoma were the third-most by a Gamecock in an NCAA Tournament game and the most since Aliyah Boston netted 28 against North Carolina on March 25, 2022. Her perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line in that game and against UConn matched to program’s NCAA Tournament record.

Schedule Sketch Dawn Staley annually builds a schedule meant to prepare her team for the postseason. This year’s slate featured 18 games against teams ranked at the time of the game or in at least one of the most recent polls – six home, five road and seven neutral sites. Eight of the 17 games were against teams currently in the top 10. The non-conference schedule was highlighted by three ranked matchups – vs. #8/10 Southern Cal (W, 69-52), vs. #4/4 Texas (L, 64-66), at #22/21 Louisville (W, 79-77) – and another win over Duke (83-66), which is currently ranked eighth in the AP Poll. In the NET, South Carolina ranked fourth after playing 15 Quad 1 games, including four non-conference matchups. The Gamecocks led the SEC in the NET rankings, and their 12 Quad 1 wins were third-most in the nation. Ranked Readings Against ranked teams, South Carolina is 147-74 (.665) in the Dawn Staley era (beginning 2008-09), and even that mark is skewed by the early seasons of her tenure. Since the start of the 2014-15 campaign, the Gamecocks are 132-35 (.790) against ranked teams, including a 62-8 (.885) mark since the start of the 2021-22 season. The Gamecocks are 130-25 (.839) under Staley when ranked higher/better than their opponent. This season, South Carolina is 15-3 against ranked opponents, including a 7-2 mark against top-10 foes. The Gamecocks are 5-0 against ranked teams at home, 4-1 on the road and 6-2 at neutral sites.

COMPLETE NOTES: https://storage.googleapis.com/gamecocksonline-com/2026/04/b657ae1b-40_scnotes_ncaa6.pdf

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UCLA

PHOENIX – The No. 1-seed UCLA women’s basketball team will face No. 1-seed South Carolina in the 2026 NCAA Championship contest this Sunday afternoon at Mortgage Matchup Center.
 
This will mark UCLA’s first-ever appearance at the women’s basketball NCAA Championship. Previously, UCLA’s program won the AIAW national title in 1978, prior to women’s basketball being overseen by the NCAA. The Bruins’ program advanced to the national semifinals in 1978 and 1979, before making its first-ever NCAA Final Four appearance last season in Tampa, Fla.
 
UCLA took place in multiple media appearances on Saturday at Mortgage Matchup Center, in addition to an open practice in the middle of the day.

Saturday’s UCLA Press Conference: Coach Close | L. Betts 
 
“I definitely think last year felt like, we were reacting to everything, not anticipating,” said Cori Close, The Michael Price Family UCLA Women’s Head Basketball Coach. “Now that we’ve been a part of this, it was just a totally different planning experience. I felt like we were able to be more strategic in how we put our players in positioning to be successful. They were able to anticipate, ‘Okay, I heard the returner saying now this is going to be a long day, this is what you have to bring, this is what you have to do.’ You just think that makes all the difference in the world.”
 
This marks UCLA’s second straight season playing in the NCAA Final Four, but the first year since 1982 – when the women’s basketball tournament was adopted by the NCAA – in which the Bruins have played for the NCAA title.
 
The Bruins have gone 2-4 in six previous meetings with South Carolina. Most recently, UCLA defeated the Gamecocks in a non-conference showdown at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial on Nov. 24, 2024. The Bruins secured a 77-62 win and led the Gamecocks at halftime, 43-22.
 
UCLA last faced South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament’s regional semifinals (Sweet 16) on March 25, 2023. South Carolina won that matchup, 59-43.
 
“I think this team has already created a legacy in itself,” senior Lauren Betts said during the Bruins’ mid-day press conference. “Tomorrow would just be obviously the cherry on top. I want to leave this season knowing I left it all out on the floor. I want to play hard for 40 minutes. Regardless of the outcome tomorrow, I want to know in the back of my head that I gave everything to this team and this program. Tomorrow my mindset is just being a leader, being vocal, giving everything, leaving this game empty, regardless of how I feel. I think the biggest thing that I’ve learned in these past three seasons at UCLA, for me just to always believe in what I’m capable of doing and to surround myself with good people. Regardless of what I do on the court, that doesn’t take away from my value as a person.”
 
The Bruins advanced to this year’s national title contest with a 51-44 win over No. 1-seed Texas on Friday evening. UCLA led by 12 points early in the fourth quarter, saw its lead fall to three points in the game’s final 90 seconds, and held on for the seven-point win. Lauren Betts came up with a key block of Texas, under the basket, with 20 seconds to play. Kiki Rice was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw stripe in the game’s final 15 seconds to preserve the UCLA win.
 
Betts finished Friday night’s national semifinal with her second double-double of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. She totaled 16 points and 11 rebounds and also registered three blocks. 
 
UCLA fans will be able to attend a Final Four watch party on Sunday at Pauley Pavilion. The event begins at 12 p.m. (PT), and admission is free for all fans (tickets can be requested by clicking here). UCLA’s game against South Carolina will be shown on the arena’s videoboard. Food, beer and wine will be available for purchase inside the arena. Please note, that Pauley Pavilion’s clear bag policy will be in effect.

The Bruins have won five NCAA Tournament games over the past three weeks, extending their season-long winning streak to 30 games. UCLA registered a perfect 18-0 record in Big Ten play and won three games in as many days at the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis to win the conference tournament title for the second straight year.

Last weekend, UCLA defeated Minnesota in the Sweet 16, and Duke in the Elite Eight, to move into the Final Four in Phoenix. The Bruins overcame a 39-31 halftime deficit against Duke last Sunday in Sacramento, outscoring the Blue Devils, 39-19, in the final two quarters to win the game, 70-58.
 
This Sunday’ championship contest will be nationally televised on ABC, with Ryan Ruocco and Rebecca Lobo on the call and Holly Rowe serving as the sideline reporter. Fans can also tune to UCLA’s digital radio broadcast at uclabruins.com/watch. The national radio broadcast from Westwood One (SiriusXM 84) will include broadcasters Ryan Radtke, Debbie Antonelli and Ros Gold-Onwude.

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