BREAKING: UCLA Becomes New Gold Standard After Upset Win

UCLA women's basketball just pulled off one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history. Their historic win has earned them the top spot in the nation after knocking off the team that held that spot for almost two straight years.

Nov 24, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close hands the basketball to a referee during the second quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (5-0) made history on Sunday afternoon, defeating the No. 1 ranked South Carolina Gamecock 77-62 and earning the top spot in the national polls. To be the best, you have to beat the best, and that is exactly what the Bruins did at home this weekend.

UCLA has been ranked the No. 1 team in the nation in the Associated Press' latest women's college basketball Top 25 poll.

The Bruins snapped a 43-game win streak for the Gamecocks, marking their first loss since March 31, 2023, when they fell to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Final Four of the '22-'23 season. A monumental win for Coach Cori Close and her group.

There’s a new No. 1️⃣ 👀#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/DSVTYVAYgc

— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) November 25, 2024

The Gamecocks had a 5-0 start to this year after an undefeated, 38-0 season a year ago and winning the national title. The odds that anybody would take this team down were very low, but the Bruins played a nearly perfect game and shut down the Gamecocks, specifically on offense.

Making a jump from being ranked fifth to first is not very common, but when you knock off the universally best team in college basketball over the past two seasons, it deserves to happen. Five different Bruins scored in double figures to earn a dominant 15-point win.

There is no doubt that this Bruins team has the ability to make a run at a national championship title this season with how skilled they are across the floor, but earning a win early in the season like this just proves to the nation that there may be a new sheriff in town.

The Bruins will seek to defend their newfound No.1 ranking as they host UT Martin (1-4) on Friday night at 3 p.m. PT. The target will now be on the Bruins' back as they toppled the top team and have gained that title for themselves. It will be interesting to see how they respond over their next few games.

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