The once-unbeaten team has fallen. There will be a new champion of womens college basketball. Just 40 regulation minutes separate heroism from heartbreak, inscription from blank space. No one wants to be on the sad side of a confetti drop.UCLA arrives in pursuit of its first NCAA title, while South Carolina goes for a fourth banner in the last decade. Lauren Betts is ready to dance. Dawn Staley has more to say. These No. 1 seeds are evenly matched and amply motivated. Heres what to know before tipoff.All efficiency stats from BartTorvik.com.How to watch UCLA vs. South Carolina in 2026 national championship gameVenue: Mortgage Matchup Center PhoenixTime: 3:30 p.m. ET, SundayTV: ABC, ESPNStreaming: Fubo (Stream Free Now)Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub.ABC is free over the air. ABC and ESPN are also available with an ESPN Unlimited subscription.How UCLA got hereCori Closes crew is No. 1 in offensive rating and No. 4 on defense. The entire starting five could go in the first round of this months WNBA Draft. Clean looks develop in bursts.First-team All-American Lauren Betts is a perpetual mismatch, towering in the paint and rolling off of screens. Kiki Rice and Charlisse Leger-Walker initiate with the ball; Gabriela Jaquez and Gianna Kneepkens zip the perimeter without it.UCLA is 36-1, but its last two wins have been rocky. It trailed Duke at halftime of the Elite Eight, only to rally around Betts down the stretch. The senior center was brilliant 23 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and five blocks. The teammates orbiting her struggled nonetheless and finished 2-for-14 beyond the arc.The Bruins fleet, artful offense was unrecognizable in the Final Four tussle with Texas. UCLA scored just 20 in the first half, done in by an unsightly six-point second quarter. On the whole, four of its five starters had at least four turnovers. Once again, though, Betts was the steadying force a team-high 16 points on 70 percent shooting, 11 boards and the game-saving stuff of Madison Booker.Despite its pro-ready polish, UCLA is winning with lockdown defense as of late. Booker, a fellow first-team All-American, saw her game contorted into 3-of-23 nightmare fuel. Toby Fournier, Dukes lead option, was held to a modest 10 points. One more disciplined effort would line the program up for its inaugural NCAA net-cutting.How South Carolina got hereStaley is the face of a new frontier in womens basketball. Her pull was tested by the dynastic old guard on Friday night and garnet washed the bluest of blue bloods into the drain. The tough, pressurized Gamecock defense left then-perfect UConn at 31/29 percent shooting splits. All-Americans Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd went a combined 7-for-31.South Carolina has won all five rounds by at least 14 points. Joyce Edwards is averaging 18.6 points and 9.4 boards per tournament game. Shes a strong finisher with a coast-to-coast motor.Three seniors keep gears turning around the sophomore forward. TaNiya Latson scored 28 points in the Sweet 16 defeat of Oklahoma. Raven Johnson had six dimes and made two 3s in the Elite Eight matchup with TCU. Madina Okot bottled up UConn at the rim Friday.The Gamecocks sit third in both offensive and defensive ratings. Like their best squads throughout the years, this group is well-balanced and audacious. South Carolina leads with its defense without junking the game.Staley isnt afraid of the moment but the moment just might be afraid of Staley. With a fourth ring, she would tie Kim Mulkey for the third-most all-time.What to know about the broadcastRyan Ruocco is on play-by-play for ABC. His you bet! call punctuates big shots. Its also a lot of fun to shout at home. Ruocco is joined by NCAA champion Rebecca Lobo for color commentary, and Holly Rowe reports from the floor. This is the trios sixth Final Four weekend together.In addition, Christine Williamson anchors the on-site championship game studio alongside Andraya Carter and Chiney Ogwumike.ESPN has a courtside alt-cast. Commercials and studio coverage go unchanged, but there are new audio and camera angles. Jess Sims is the host. WNBA star Chelsea Gray and rugby player Ilona Maher break down the action, while influencer Katie Feeney contributes with interviews and fan reactions. Its a more casual, conversational alternative to ABCs main broadcast.A postgame show will air on ESPN at 6 p.m. ET. The winner lifts hardware and enters the historical record. The loser hears what if? echoing as it takes the last exit.Streaming and ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process, and do not review stories before publication.This article originally appeared in The Athletic.UCLA Bruins, South Carolina Gamecocks, Women's College Basketball, Fubo Partnership, How to Watch2026 The Athletic Media Company

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BENGALURU: The southern derby between RCB and CSK has long been one of the IPLs marquee contests. Of the 35 meetings between the two sides, CSK have won 21 but the narrative shifted last season when RCB, en route their maiden title, completed a double over the five-time champions, a commanding 50-run win in Chennai followed by a thrilling two-run victory at home.The shift in results has mirrored a change in fortunes. RCB, rebuilt around performance and analytics, finally broke their title drought while CSK, in a transitional phase, have exited in the league stage in each of the past two seasons.On Sunday, the two sides meet again at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium under contrasting circumstances. RCB come into the contest on the back of an emphatic win over SRH in their opener while the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led CSK arrive with two defeats in a row, including a five-wicket loss to SRH at home on Friday.There is also a gap in preparation. RCB have had a week to recover and regroup. CSK will take the field less than 48 hours after their previous outing.On paper, RCB appear the more settled unit. Their top order looks formidable, with Virat Kohli and Phil Salt complemented by the in-form Devdutt Padikkal. The middle order, featuring skipper Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David and Romario Shepherd, provides both stability and firepower.In the bowling department, New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy impressed on debut in the absence of Josh Hazlewood, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar offered steady support. RCB could consider adding a left-arm seam option in Mangesh Yadav while spinners Krunal Pandya andSuyash Sharma will look to improve after a lukewarm start.CSK, once known as the daddys arm, now features a younger line-up supported by a few seasoned names such as Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dube. However, their batting has yet to click consistently. would Gaikwad will need to lead from the front while the likes of Ayush Mhatre who struck a fluent 78 against SRH will be expected to build on recent form. The teenager returns to a venue where he announced his arrival last season with a blistering 94.The bigger concern for the visitors, though, is their bowling. In two matches, CSK have conceded 338 runs in 30.5 overs. The new-ball pair of Khaleel Ahmed and Matt Henry have been expensive while the spin attack has also lacked penetration. The absence of MS Dhoni, a central figure in the team, has not helped.

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