PHOENIX — Third-year mathematics/economics student Gabriel Sundaramoorthy said the idea came to him at 10 p.m. Saturday night. 

Phoenix – where UCLA women’s basketball was set to compete for its first NCAA title in 14 hours – was a six hour drive away from campus.

Sundaramoorthy got in his car and didn’t stop driving until he arrived in Phoenix on Sunday morning.

The drive paid off for Sundaramoorthy, who watched UCLA women’s basketball defeat the University of South Carolina in a blowout victory to bring home its first NCAA title Sunday. Hundreds of fans made the trip to Arizona to rally behind the Bruins in pursuit of their first NCAA championship. 

“Our women’s basketball team has been so dominant, especially since my first year,” he said. “It’s incredible to see everyone turn out to watch the game.”

[Related: Finally champions: Women’s basketball dominates in program-first NCAA title win]

Olivia Pacheco, a UCLA baton twirler who performs at the team’s home games, drove to Phoenix on Thursday to watch the Bruins play the University of Texas in the final four, and stayed for the national championship Sunday. Pacheco, a fourth-year public health student, said her support for the team runs deep.

“I’m a second generation Bruin – I was born and bred to root for them,” she said. “We always love going to every single woman’s game and supporting them – they’re so grateful for the band, and it’s nice to see them come out on top.”

For some Bruins, the day was about more than the victory – the fan turnout in Phoenix signified a shift in support for the women’s basketball team after years of the men’s squad dominating fans’ attention.

“They put in just as much work,” Pacheco said. “It’s nice to see them be recognized.”

Paul Rodriguez, a UCLA alumnus who attended the game, said he’s watched support for women’s basketball grow throughout the UCLA community – particularly under coach Cori Close, who took the team’s helm in 2011.

For Rodriguez, the 2026 women’s basketball squad is special because it consists of seniors who have stayed loyal to UCLA’s program. 

“We’ve been following them for the last four years,” he said. “It’s really cool, especially now in this day and age of basketball where players come and go, to see players that stay committed.”

Maribel Santiago, another UCLA alumnus who attended the game, said she and her friend from college have traveled to watch the team in this year’s and last year’s final four.

Santiago said she knew it was “now or never” to watch UCLA women’s basketball – whose top six scorers are in their last year of eligibility – win a national championship.

“This year, it almost didn’t happen for many reasons,” she said. “As a season ticket holder, it’s like, ‘I’ve got to do it – I’ve got to support.’”