UCLA’s Lauren Betts Could be the Best Player in Women’s College Basketball
Who will be the first overall pick, when the 2026 WNBA Draft rolls around next April? There is a clear cut front-runner right now, as almost every WNBA Draft prospect list or mock draft currently has UCLA senior Lauren Betts in the top spot.
Betts, 22, is a post player who also has a guard’s skill set, and she looks poised to become the best overall player in women’s college basketball this season. Betts began her career at Stanford, one of the nation’s premier programs, where she was a backup to Cameron Brink, who is one of the WNBA’s biggest stars.
After Betts transferred to UCLA, she truly found herself, and her college career took off. The first step was getting her mind right, and she’s often been outspoken about her own mental health struggles.
She opened up to ESPN for a wide-ranging feature that focused on her depression, anxiety, and self-esteem issues.
“I did it with a purpose in that it wasn’t just about me,” Betts said to R.org at Big Ten Media Day.
“The reason why I spoke about it and then did the article for ESPN was to kind of create this new standard within sports, that mental health is completely okay to talk about, and it’s actually really important that we have those conversations.
“Because I know there’s a lot more athletes like me who have experienced that before.
“I think it’s just bigger than basketball.”
For the Bruins senior, her height (6’7″) has been both a blessing and a curse in life, and she’s conveyed this fact publicly.
“And I think that there’s a lot of young girls who hopefully read that article and see us basketball players, and understand that we’re people at the end of the day.
“Yes, we have a job to do, and when we play, we come across as very strong but we’re people too, and we deal with normal emotions.”
From Spain to the States: A Global Basketball Journey
As a British-American born in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, Betts brings a lot of international flair to both her game and her brand.
Ironically, soccer, not basketball, was the first sport she picked up as a child. In her own words, it didn’t work out too well.
Her father, Andrew Betts was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets, 50th overall, in 1998. He never played in the NBA, but spent 14 years playing professional basketball in Europe, for 10 different teams in four different countries.
When Lauren was in the third grade, the Betts family settled in the United States, and she saw roundball as a way to socialize with her classmates.
“When I started playing basketball, it was more to make friends,” Betts said.
“Because I just moved to the States, living in Spain for a long time. And as I got older and started to actually, recognize, oh, I’m actually not too bad at this.
“I just kept doing it, and it kind of just got me here, but yeah, to be honest, in the beginning, it wasn’t really my parents who nudged me.
“I just wanted to do it because my friends were playing basketball too.”
Her sister Sienna, a blue-chip prospect in her own right, will be her teammate this season.
Lauren actually gave a PowerPoint presentation about UCLA as a recruiting pitch to Sienna, who was ranked the #2 overall recruit in the nation by ESPN.
“I think my intention doing the PowerPoint was just to show her that this recruiting process isn’t about me, and it’s not about getting the Betts sisters to play with each other,” she continued.
“It’s that I want her here because she’s Sienna Betts, and she’s a really important part of our team, and she would bring so much to us, and she’d help us win a national championship.
“And I just wanted her to know that as her sister, that I would guide her, I would help her as much as she wants, but it’s her journey at the end of the day, and I didn’t get her here.
“She did.”
The 5-star recruit could have gone anywhere, but she verbally committed to play alongside her sister in November of 2023. The Betts sisters lead a very deep and extremely talented Bruins team that enters the season ranked #3 nationally.
UCLA, who made the Final Four last season, could easily see two or maybe even three more players join Betts in becoming first round WNBA draft picks next spring.
And while Betts’ star is certainly rising, she’s already made an appearance on a reality show, MTV’s RuPaul’s Drag Race, where she was a recipient of a total makeover.
“That was a really cool experience,” she articulated.
“I am very thankful that they let me do that. I give so much credit to all the drag queens, because I don’t think people understand how much work truly goes into their craft.
“They’re all super, super talented. And Bosco did a really good job of doing my, you know, transformation. She’s amazing.”
Preparing Her Game for the Next Level
Betts also discussed what she’s working on, specifically, to improve her game. Yes, the WNBA scouts and draftniks are as high as can be on her.
However, as with everybody, there is always room for improvement.
“I think being more comfortable playing around the perimeter is something that I really try to focus on throughout the preseason,” Betts added.
“Being more comfortable with my shot, allowing other forwards, like my sister, to post up a little bit, get her butt in the paint and let me play a little bit off the trail.
“I think it’s going to help our team a little bit more with spacing and allowing our guards to get in the paint as well.”
It all starts Monday night, when the Betts sisters and the rest of the Bruins take on San Diego State in prime time. The season opener will tip off on November 3rd at the Honda Center, home of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks.