It all comes down to this: South Carolina and UCLA will face off for the title in the Women’s NCAA Tournament Championship this afternoon.
The Gamecocks are making their fourth championship appearance in the last five seasons today, following a 62-48 upset victory over UConn in the Final Four. Under head coach Dawn Staley, South Carolina won the national championship in 2022 and 2024.
South Carolina vs. UCLA: what to know
- When: April 5, 3:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Mortgage Matchup Center (Phoenix, Arizona)
- Channel: ABC
- Streaming: DIRECTV (try it free)
After making its first Final Four appearance in program history last season, UCLA returned to the Final Four this year, defeating No. 1 Texas 51-44 to earn a spot in the Tournament Championship. Today, the Bruins will play to win a program-first national title.
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in to the 2026 Women’s National Championship.
South Carolina vs. UCLA start time
South Carolina vs. UCLA game is scheduled to tip off at 3:30 p.m. ET today, April 5, on ABC.
How to watch South Carolina vs. UCLA for free
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the women’s national championship for free.
DIRECTV is our top pick for watching college live for free — its five-day free trial includes ABC (plus every other channel you’ll need for the NBA season including local channels). When the trial is over, you’ll pay as low as $49.99/month and gain access to over 90 live channels.
Sling TV is another affordable way to stream live TV; its Select plan includes ABC and starts at $19.99/month.
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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
