UCLA’s national champion women’s basketball team was given an eyebrow-raising political quest by late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.

During a group interview on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Tuesday, a discussion with Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Angela Dugalić and coach Cori Close turned political.

After Kimmel pointed out that former President Barack Obama made a social media post congratulating the team on their championship win, the host asked if President Donald Trump had reached out yet.

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The UCLA Bruins women’s basketball team is honored at center court during a game between the Lakers and Oklahoma Thunder at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on April 7, 2026. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

The players answered “no” in response to Kimmel’s Trump question.

But then Kimmel steered the conversation deeper into an anti-Trump routine.

“I’m sure you know he’s busy. Um he’s in two weeks you’ll hear from him,” Kimmel said. “In the event that you do get invited to the White House and you decide to go to the White House, I have something for you.”

UCLA WINS FIRST WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NATIONAL TITLE IN PROGRAM HISTORY WITH DOMINANT WIN OVER SOUTH CAROLINA

Kimmel then pulled out a silver trophy that hardly resembled the NCAA championship trophy that sat on his desk.

“What I want you to do is bring this fake trophy we’ve made to the White House. He’s not going to know. But when you bring a trophy, he sometimes takes it and keeps it for himself. So, this is for you guys to take to the White House. And then you can say, ‘President Trump, we want you to have this.’ And he’ll be so happy. You’ll probably get an endowment and you’ll be able to keep the real one,” Kimmel said.

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Head coach Cori Close of the UCLA Bruins watches during the first quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the NCAA women’s basketball national championship at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on April 5, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Close laughed at Kimmel’s joke, while the players lightly clapped their hands, exchanging light laughs.

Meanwhile, social media users criticized Kimmel for turning the sports interview into a Trump-focused rant.

“Even celebrating their championship he has to make it about himself and his hatred for Trump. What an a—hole,” one X user wrote.

One X user mocked Kimmel, writing, “What will he do when Trump is out of office? Is the show cooked?”

Another X user wrote, “This is funny, but I dislike that he used them to smite the frump.”

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UCLA center Lauren Betts (51) reacts while holding up the UCLA bracket sticker after UCLA defeats Oklahoma State in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Los Angeles. (Jessie Alcheh/AP)

UCLA won its first women’s basketball national championship in program history this past weekend, defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks, the team led by Dawn Staley that had reached the national title game three consecutive seasons and won it in 2024, in dominant fashion, 79-51.

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For the first time in program history, the UCLA Bruins are the women’s basketball national champions.

The Bruins took down the South Carolina Gamecocks, the team led by Dawn Staley that had reached the national title game three consecutive seasons and won it in 2024, in dominant fashion, 79-51.

Staley’s squad did not look like it did against UConn in the Final Four, as they couldn’t figure things out offensively. A lot of that had to do with suffocating UCLA defense, but the Bruins weren’t having the same trouble when they had the ball in their hands.

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The UCLA Bruins women’s basketball team huddles before the NCAA Women’s Championship game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on April 4, 2026. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)

By the end of the third quarter, the Bruins had a whopping 29-point lead over the Gamecocks, 61-32, as UCLA held South Carolina to just 24% shooting from the floor compared to their 43%.

In the end, UCLA made 43% of its shots compared to South Carolina’s 29%, which is always the goal for a team looking to win a title.

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It’s been a long time coming for Close, who has been leading the Bruins since the 2011-12 season. Last season marked the first time UCLA has been to the Final Four in the women’s NCAA Tournament as a program, though they fell to the UConn Huskies, 85-51.

Kiki Rice of the UCLA Bruins reacts after making a three-point basket against the South Carolina Gamecocks at the end of the first quarter in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament National Championship at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on April 5, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

This time, it was the Bruins getting the job done against Texas, 51-44, to secure a spot for the national title. Of course, it wasn’t expected to be an easy feat against the Gamecocks, who handled UConn, 62-48, which resulted in a now-viral exchange between Staley and Geno Auriemma at midcourt.

However, Close has the right formula, and the Bruins executed it to a tee on Sunday afternoon to be crowned champions.

All five starters for Close finished the game with double-digit points, with Gabriela Jaquez, the sister of ex-Bruins men’s basketball star and current Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez, leading the charge with 21 on 8-of-14 shooting. She also finished with a double-double after hauling in 10 rebounds.

Lauren Betts of the UCLA Bruins and Maryam Dauda of the South Carolina Gamecocks compete for position during the first quarter of the NCAA women’s basketball national championship at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on April 5, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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Lauren Betts had herself a double-double, too, finishing the game with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Gianna Kneepkens (15 points, four assists), Charlisse Leger-Walker (10 points, four rebounds) and Kiki Rice (10 points, six rebounds, five assists) helped the Bruins keep the pace against the Gamecocks, who couldn’t get the game closer.

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Second-round matchups are set for the ongoing March Madness, and UConn vs. UCLA is one of the most exciting contests of this round. No. 2 UConn secured its ticket to the second round with an 82-71 victory over Furman in a hotly contested first-round game.

Similarly, No. 7 UCLA advanced to the second round after a difficult game against a UCF team they managed to beat 75-71.

UConn vs. UCLA predictions

UConn is favored over UCLA by DraftKings to win this game with a 4.5-point spread. Here are the odds for the game as of Saturday, Mar. 21.

Moneyline: UConn -205, UCLA +170

Spread: UConn -4.5 (-110), UCLA +4.5 (-110)

Total o/u: UConn U 139.5 (-110), UCLA O 139.5 (-110)

Dan Hurley’s team missed out on a three-peat last year, losing in the NCAA tournament to the eventual champions, the Florida Gators. The Huskies will be looking to make a deeper run this time.

UConn vs. UCLA preview

The Huskies missed their starting point guard, Silas Demary Jr., in their first-round matchup with Furman. In his absence, senior center Tarris Reed Jr. stepped up and delivered a dominant offensive performance, scoring 31 points and grabbing 27 rebounds.

His rebound tally surpassed the entire Furman team’s rebounds. However, having Demary on the court will be crucial to resisting UCLA’s famed ball pressure.

The Bruins also had an important injury absence in the first round, with their leading scorer, Tyler Bilodeau, sidelined with a knee injury. However, Eric Dailey Jr. provided a quality shift in his stead, dropping a 20-point performance, as Trent Perry’s late-game heroics sealed the team’s progress.

However, the Bruins also need Bilodeau back on the court to face the tough challenge UConn potentially poses. UConn has a lot to prove after last year’s disappointing March Madness loss to Florida.

The Huskies have one thing going for them, and that is the depth of the team’s roster, especially with experienced veterans. Despite missing two starters against Furman, their roster made the difference, with experienced players like Alex Karaban, Reed, and Solo Ball. The team looks solid enough for a deep March Madness run.

The winner of this matchup will face the winner of the game between Michigan State and Louisville in the Sweet Sixteen.

Where to watch UConn vs. UCLA

The game will tip off at 8:45 p.m. (EST) on Sunday, Mar. 22, 2026, at Xfinity Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It will be aired live on TNT.