{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6818a0d4eb737caf8ca3e31e/69d3577ff57702d2d9b93de2?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"How UCLA Won its First-Ever National Championship","description":"<p>Together in Phoenix after the national championship game, the whole No Offseason crew dives deep into UCLA’s decisive win over South Carolina. With a spotlight on UCLA’s six seniors — including Most Outstanding Player, Lauren Betts, and star guard, Gabriela Jaquez — Zena, Layshia, Sabreena and Chantel dissect UCLA head coach Cori Close’s incisive game plan to take down South Carolina, and her players’ elite execution of that plan. They also break down what went wrong for South Carolina, outside of not getting their shots to drop. Then, the crew speculates on what might come next for UCLA, with so many roster spots to fill next year and a newly open transfer portal.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>REFERENCES:&nbsp;</strong></p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7174273/2026/04/05/ucla-womens-march-madness-national-champions-2026/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">UCLA clobbers South Carolina for first NCAA national title in program history</a> by Cameron Teague Robinson</p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7174739/2026/04/05/ucla-national-championship-seniors/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">How UCLA’s super senior class, led by Lauren Betts, set the championship standard</a> by Sabreena Merchant</p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7174724/2026/04/05/ucla-championship-south-carolina-lessons/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">For UCLA, a championship lesson came from losing</a> by Jerry Brewer</p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7172506/2026/04/05/dawn-staley-geno-auriemma-drama-womens-basketball/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Dawn Staley isn’t here for the drama. She’s here to protect the game</a> by Jerry Brewer</p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7175020/2026/04/06/ucla-cori-close-national-championship/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Sacrifice and selflessness define coach Cori Close’s UCLA championship run</a> by Chantel Jennings&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7174907/2026/04/05/south-carolina-ucla-defense-national-championship/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">What went wrong for South Carolina? The main thing: UCLA’s dominating defense</a> by Grace Raynor</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>","author_name":"The Athletic"}