James Snook-Imagn Images

Russell Westbrook Sends Three-Word Message After UCLA Clinches Historic Final Four Spot

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Mariano | Last updated Mar 31, 2025 12:28 AM ET

UCLA fended off a furious rally by LSU in the closing minutes of their Elite Eight clash in the women's NCAA Tournament on Sunday to claim the hard-earned win, 72-65.

More importantly, the top-seeded Bruins made history by securing their first-ever berth to the Final Four.

Guard Gabriela Jaquez came up big for UCLA in the endgame, scoring five straight points, including the dagger three-pointer to seal the victory. The sister of Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished with a team-high 18 points on top of eight rebounds and three steals.

Center Lauren Betts, who faced LSU's feisty defense throughout the game, chipped in 17 points, seven rebounds and six blocks.

Denver Nuggets star and UCLA alumnus Russell Westbrook was hyped up for the Bruins' memorable win and shared on his Instagram story a poster of the squad.

"Let's go, ladies!" wrote Westbrook.

The former NBA MVP helped UCLA to back-to-back appearances in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament in the two years he played for the famed program, teaming up with fellow future NBA players Kevin Love, Darren Collison, Arron Afflalo and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute.

The Bruins avenged their loss to the Tigers in the Sweet 16 last season, which was an added fuel for motivation.

"Last year, LSU was the tougher team in that matchup, and a lot of our work during the offseason, just throughout this entire year, has been how can we build that collective toughness to be ready for those matchups and be ready for physical teams, be ready for these kind of environments," said guard Kiki Rice in a report from ESPN's Kendra Andrews.

UCLA will face either University of Connecticut or USC in the Final Four.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: