South Carolina vs UCLA: Title game preview and pick

By Chris Marler

South Carolina and UCLA will face off in Phoenix Sunday afternoon for the national title game. Here’s our preview and prediction for the game.  

The Story 

South Carolina will be seeking its fourth national title, and UCLA will be seeking its first when the two meet on Sunday afternoon. Both teams were No. 1 seeds and ranked in the top five all season long. 

UCLA is stacked, with as many as six players projected to be selected in this summer’s WNBA Draft. 

They are led by 6-foot-7 senior center Lauren Betts who has been absolutely tremendous all season, and she’s averaging over 22 points and nine rebounds per game in the NCAA Tournament. 

UCLA has been more than impressive in their five games leading up to this final, winning every game by at least double digits and over 19 ppg differential. Their defense was incredible against Texas in a game where they held Madison Booker to six points. Booker made her first shot of their Final Four matchup and proceeded to miss her next 17 straight attempts. They’ll need more of that defense on South Carolina’s stars today. 

“LAUREN BETTS WITH A BLOCK FOR THE AGES!” 😤 pic.twitter.com/3owNab8Cwc

— espnW (@espnW) April 4, 2026

South Carolina’s win over UConn should’ve been an incredible story. The Gamecocks lost to the Huskies twice a season ago, including in the national title game. 

On Friday, their 14 point win over UConn snapped a 54 game win streak and ended their 38-0 start to this season. That was all marred by UConn head coach Geno Auriemma’s childlike tantrum in the waning moments of the game. 

Still, South Carolina is playing their best basketball of the season down the stretch, and many feel like this is the best coaching job of Dawn Staley’s career. 

Geno Auriemma exchanged words with Dawn Staley in the final seconds of South Carolina and UConn’s Final Four matchup. pic.twitter.com/S6anlPKqwe

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 4, 2026

Most Important Player 

South Carolina Freshman Agot Makeer is the most important player.

Makeer has caught fire this postseason and more than doubled her average for points in the regular season (7.2) in postseason play (14.6). She’s scored double digit points in all five of their tournament games. 

To put that in perspective she only did that three times all season. She’s a 6-foot-1 dynamic freshman who’s big and physical enough to play inside, but can shoot from deep when needed. Against UConn, South Carolina only made two threes, and both were from Makeer. 

This team has proven they can win without Joyce Edwards being dominant or Tessa Johnson going off from deep. That’s largely in part to Makeer’s emergence towards the end of the season. 

Courtney Williams was loving this Agot Makeer 3 👏

Watch the Alt-Cast ending of South-UConn on ESPN2 📺 pic.twitter.com/2NOEx7axi4

— espnW (@espnW) April 4, 2026

The Pick 

South Carolina will win.

UCLA is really good, and arguably deeper than the Gamecocks, but this feels like South Carolina’s moment. That win over UConn was huge for this team’s confidence, and based on postgame press conferences, it hasn’t disrupted their focus at all. South Carolina edges it out to claim its fourth national title under Dawn Staley.