UCLA defeated South Carolina to win the 2026 title on April 5
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/ucla-womens-basketball-team-donald-trump-040826-13d803c6856946a18dddbdaaf11af776.jpg "Members of the UCLA Bruins pose with the trophy after their victory against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the National Championship of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 05, 2026; Donald Trump arrives to address the nation from the Cross Hall of the White House on April 1, 2026")
Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty; Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- President Donald Trump has not yet congratulated the UCLA women’s basketball team on their NCAA championship, the team said during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on April 7
- UCLA players Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Angela Dugalic and Lauren Betts, as well as coach Cori Close, joined the show
- Kimmel jokingly gave the team a fake trophy to take with them to the White House during the segment
President Donald Trump has not yet congratulated the UCLA women's basketball team on their NCAA championship, members of the team said Tuesday.
The newly-minted national champions — Gabriela Jaquez, Kiki Rice, Angela Dugalic and Lauren Betts, as well as head coach Cori Close — appeared as guests on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday, April 7, to celebrate their win over the South Carolina Gamecocks in the final game two days earlier.
During the interview, host Jimmy Kimmel noted that former president Barack Obama had congratulated the squad on their win, which received a warm and excited response from the team. Close, 54, joked that "everybody makes mistakes" after Kimmel pointed out that the former president predicted UCLA would lose in the final.
Credit: Jimmy Kimmel Live/YouTube
When Kimmel asked the group if they had heard from the current president, Rice, 22, said, "We have not."
The late-night host, who has been publicly at odds with the president, joked that the team would hear from him "in two weeks," referring to Trump's two-week ceasefire agreement with Iran.
Kimmel further poked fun at Trump with the NCAA champs when he brought out a fake trophy and told them to bring it with them to the White House if they do end up being invited and accepting a visit with the president.
"I want you to bring this fake trophy we've made," Kimmel said. "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," he explained, as the UCLA stars laughed.
PEOPLE has reached out to the White House to confirm if Trump has reached out to UCLA, or to the men's national champions, the University of Michigan.
Trump shared an official message on the White House website for Michigan and UConn's men's basketball teams on Monday, ahead of the NCAA final, congratulating "these incredible players and coaches for reaching the College Basketball National Championship." He did not share a similar message for the UCLA and South Carolina women before their championship game on Sunday.
Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty
Before appearing on Kimmel's show, the Bruins have been making the media rounds to celebrate their NCAA championship. Close appeared on the Today show on April 7, where she reflected on what an "honor" it is to coach her players and the "imperative experiences" she had in the NCAA tournament that led her to the 2026 win.
Also on Tuesday, the team was honored as special guests of the Los Angeles Lakers during their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The UCLA players took to the court with their trophy and a custom jersey before tip-off in Los Angeles.