UCLA defeats LSU to reach women's Final Four for first time in program history

The UCLA women’s basketball team made history Sunday afternoon to reach the Final Four for the first time in program history. The Bruins defeated LSU by a score of 72-65 in an Elite Eight matchup to secure their spot in Tampa.

UCLA was in control for much of the game but Kim Mulkey and the Tigers would not go out quietly. Although UCLA led by as many 14 points in the second half, LSU battled back to make it a one-possession game after Flau’jae Johnson hit a layup to make it 56-53 with just over three minutes remaining.

That would be as close as it would get, however, as the Bruins hit some free throws on the next two possessions. Gabriela Jaquez then delivered a dagger 3-pointer to put them up 62-53 with 1:30 remaining. That deficit proved to big to overcome as UCLA hung on for the win.

Jaquez finished with 16 points and eight rebounds while Lauren Betts led the team with 17 points and six blocks. Timea Gardiner chipped in 15 points off the bench on 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point range.

LSU led after the first quarter thanks to an 11-2 run to end that period. But UCLA would waste no time getting it back as the Bruins outscored the Tigers 22-12 in the second quarter to take a 31-25 lead into halftime.

UCLA only continued to add to that to open up the third quarter. The Bruins scored five straight points to start the period and took their first double-digit lead when Londyn Jones hit a 3-pointer. They would go on to expand it to as many as 14 but LSU refused to go away easily.

The Tigers rallied all the way back to make it a 46-41 game at the end of the quarter. However, they suffered some brutal news as Aneesah Morrow took a shot to the face in near the end of the quarter and had to be taken to the locker room. She was later determined to have a broken nose but somehow returned to the game.

Morrow finished with 15 points and seven rebounds in the loss while Johnson led the Tigers with 28 points. This marks the second straight season that LSU has lost in the Elite Eight after it won the national championship in 2023.

The Final Four is also the first for Cori Close, who has been the Bruins coach since the 2011-12 season. UCLA moves on to face the winner between Connecticut and USC, which play on Monday, in the women’s Final Four on April 4.