Anna 
The No. 3 Duke Blue Devils claimed their first ACC Championship in 12 years with a 76-52 victory over No. 1 NC State. This marks the first ACC title for Duke head coach Kara Lawson, who took over in 2020. Lawson becomes the third consecutive Black coach to win the ACC tournament title, following Kenny Brooks of Virginia Tech in 2023 and Niele Ivey of Notre Dame in 2022.
The game unfolded in two halves. NC State started strong, with Aziaha James, Saniya Rivers, and Zoe Brooks leading the charge. The Wolfpack finished the first half ahead 36-29, holding Duke to just 36% shooting. James suffered a concerning injury just before halftime and was escorted off the court, but she returned in the third quarter.
After the break, Duke made key adjustments. They shot 55.2% in the second half while holding NC State to just 32.3%. The Blue Devils also forced 16 turnovers and dominated the paint, scoring 26 points there, while also benefiting from 33 points off the bench.
For Duke, Okananwa led the way with 22 points and 10 rebounds, matching a career high. Ashlon Jackson also added 22 points and six rebounds. Both Okananwa and Jackson were named to the All-Tournament First Team, with Okananwa earning MVP honors. For NC State, James, Rivers, and Brooks were also named to the All-Tournament First Team.
After the win, head coach Kara Lawson expressed pride in her team’s performance, saying, “Just incredibly proud of our team and what they were able to accomplish, not just in this game but over the course of the tournament for us. We faced some of the best teams in the country three days in a row.”
In another standout game, the UCLA Bruins defeated USC in the final of their conference tournament. Despite a 13-point lead in the third quarter, USC’s offense stalled, allowing UCLA to rally behind the dominance of Betts. Betts scored 13 points in the paint and blocked four shots in the second half. UCLA also stepped up defensively, forcing USC into eight turnovers in the second half.
USC struggled to score in the fourth quarter, only putting up their first points with a minute left on the clock. Despite the loss, USC’s Watkins scored 29 points and surpassed Caitlin Clark to become the second-highest scorer in women’s college basketball through their first two seasons, trailing only Kelsey Mitchell.
For UCLA, this win marked the program’s first 30-win season and its first conference championship in 19 years. Betts earned All-Conference Team Honors, alongside USC’s Watkins and Kiki Iriafen.
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