Lauren Betts

Lauren Betts
Betts with the Washington Mystics in 2026
No. 51 – Washington Mystics
PositionCenter
LeagueWNBA
Personal information
Born (2003-10-15) October 15, 2003
Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight231 lb (105 kg)
Career information
High schoolGrandview (Aurora, Colorado)
College
WNBA draft2026: 1st round, 4th overall pick
Drafted byWashington Mystics
Playing career2026–present
Career history
2026–presentWashington Mystics
Career highlights
Stats at Basketball Reference 
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing the  United States
FIBA AmeriCup
Silver medal – second place2023 MexicoTeam
FIBA Under-19 World Cup
Gold medal – first place2021 HungaryTeam
FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship
Gold medal – first place2019 ChileTeam

Lauren Marie Betts (born October 15, 2003) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played for Grandview High School in Aurora, Colorado, where she was ranked as the number one recruit in her class by ESPN. Betts started her college career with the Stanford Cardinal before transferring to UCLA after one season. She has twice been named a first-team All-American with the Bruins. She led UCLA to a national championship in 2026, when she was named the NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player (MOP).

Early life and high school career

Betts was born in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, and moved around the country during her childhood due to the basketball career of her father, Andrew.[1] When she was in third grade, her family settled in the United States.[2] Before focusing on basketball, Betts was involved in dance, swimming and soccer.[1] By sixth grade, she was six feet tall.[3] She played for Grandview High School in Aurora, Colorado. As a freshman, Betts averaged 12.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game for the Class 5A runners-up.[4] In her sophomore season, she averaged 17.8 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game, leading her team back to the state title game, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] Betts averaged 17.5 points and 11 rebounds per game as a junior, helping Grandview achieve a 17–1 record and reach the Class 5A semifinals. She was named Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year.[6] Betts led her team to the Class 5A state championship in her senior season.[7] She averaged 17.2 points, 11 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game, winning Women's Basketball Coaches Association High School Player of the Year and repeating as Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year.[8][9] She also played in both the McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic.[10]

Recruiting

Betts was considered a five-star recruit and the number one player in the 2022 class by ESPN. On January 13, 2021, she committed to playing college basketball for Stanford over offers from Notre Dame, Oregon, UCLA, UConn, and South Carolina.[11]

College career

2022–23: Freshman season

Betts came off the bench for Stanford in her freshman season.[12] On November 9, 2022, she recorded a season-high 18 points, six rebounds, and three blocks in a 104–40 win over Cal State Northridge.[13] As a freshman, she averaged 5.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per game, earning Pac-12 All-Freshman honorable mention.[14]

2023–24: Sophomore season

For her sophomore season, Betts transferred to UCLA.[14] She immediately assumed a greater role with the Bruins as the team's starting center.[15] In January 2024, Betts missed four games due to a medical issue, which was later disclosed as time to focus on her mental health.[16][17] On February 16, she scored a season-high 24 points in a 79–77 loss to AP No. 11 Oregon State.[18] Betts finished the season averaging 14.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. She was an All-Pac-12 Team and a Pac-12 All-Defensive Team selection, while earning All-America honorable mention from the AP and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).[17]

2024–25: Junior season

In the second game of her junior season, on November 10, 2024, Betts had 31 points and nine rebounds in an 81–63 win over Colgate.[19] On January 20, 2025, she tallied 24 points, nine rebounds, and a program-record nine blocks in a 72–57 win against AP No. 25 Baylor.[20] On January 26, 2025, Betts posted a career-high 33 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks in an 82–67 victory over AP No. 8 Maryland. During the game, she shot 14-of-15 from the field (93.3 percent), breaking the program single-game record in field goal percentage with at least 15 attempts.[21] On February 20, Betts surpassed Monique Billings to set the UCLA single-season record in blocks, as part of a 22-point, 6-block effort in a 70–55 win over AP No. 25 Illinois.[22]

The Bruins had a strong season and were ranked number one in the nation after defeating defending champion South Carolina during the regular season. Betts led the Bruins to their First Big Ten Tournament Championship and First 30 wins in a season.[23] Betts was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team and was the most outstanding player of the tournament.[24] Betts was named as both an AP[25] and a USBWA[26] First Team All–American.[27] She was named one of four finalists for the Naismith Women's Player of the Year,[28] and was named the 2025 Naismith Women’s College Defensive Player of the Year.[29] She was named to the John R. Wooden Award Women’s All-America team.[30] She received the Lisa Leslie Award, which honors the top college center.[31] Betts helped the Bruins reach the 2025 Final Four, and was named to the NCAA WBB Final Four all-tournament team.[32]

2025–26: Senior season

Betts in 2026

During her 2025–26 senior season, Betts led UCLA to both the Big Ten regular season and Big Ten tournament titles. Betts was also named the Big Ten Player of the Year (POY), while repeating as the conference's Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY).[33] During the 2026 NCAA Tournament, and in her last home game at Pauley Pavilion, Betts scored a career high 35 points against Oklahoma State, which contributed to UCLA advancing to the Sweet 16.[34] On March 19, 2026 Betts published her ground breaking article, I Want To Be Here, about her mental health journey in The Players Tribune[35] which garnered national attention.[36] During the Final Four, Betts delivered double-doubles in both points and rebounds against fellow No.1 seeds Texas and South Carolina.[37] The Bruins won the 2026 national championship, which was its first NCAA women's basketball championship, and second national championship, and Betts was named the NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player (MOP).[38] Overall, Betts became the first player, male or female, to set an NCAA tournament record with 125+ points on 65 percent or better shooting, 50+ rebounds, and 15+ blocks.[39] Betts finished her career as only the third player in UCLA women's basketball history, with 1800+ points and 1000+ rebounds, joining Bruin legends Denise Curry and Natalie Williams.[40] Betts also finished her career as UCLA's all-time leading shot blocker, with 235 shots blocked while playing for UCLA and 264 career blocked shots.[41] On April 8, 2026 Betts earned her record 15th Student-Athlete of the Week award from UCLA.[42] Betts also earned her second Lisa Leslie Award,[43] and on April 28, 2026, Betts was named the Honda Sport Award winner for basketball.[44] On July 8, 2026, Betts was named the Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year.[45] On July 15, 2026, Betts won the Best Female College Athlete ESPY Award at the 2026 ESPY Awards.[46] She is the first Bruin to ever receive the award.[47] Lauren Betts was awarded the Honda-Broderick Cup on July 27, 2026.[48]

Professional career

On April 13, 2026, the Washington Mystics selected Betts as the fourth overall pick of the 2026 WNBA draft.[49]

National team career

Betts with the 2023 U.S. FIBA AmeriCup team

Betts won a gold medal with the United States under-16 national team at the 2019 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Chile. She averaged 12.2 points, 13.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game, earning all-tournament honors.[4] Betts was the youngest member of the under-19 national team at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Hungary. She averaged 11.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game en route to a gold medal.[50] Betts played for the senior national team at the 2023 FIBA AmeriCup in Mexico, helping her team win a silver medal. She averaged 11.4 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.[51]

Personal life

Betts was born to Andrew and Michelle Betts. Andrew was a center for the Great Britain and England national teams who played for several leading European clubs and was drafted by the NBA's Charlotte Hornets. Her mother, Michelle, played volleyball for Long Beach State, winning a national title in 1993.[52][50] She has a sister, Sienna, who plays basketball at UCLA, and two brothers, Dylan and Ashton.[53] In 2025, Betts appeared in the 10th season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars as a guest who received a makeover as part of a weekly challenge.

Business interests

On July 21, 2025, Betts and her sister, Sienna, were signed by Unrivaled, a 3x3 basketball league, to NIL deals as part of "The Future is Unrivaled Class of 2025".[54][55] In addition, in April 2026, Betts signed a shoe deal with Reebok.[56]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game  RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game  FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold  Career best ° League leader

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2022–23 Stanford 3309.660.2–56.73.50.50.20.90.55.9
2023–24 UCLA 292727.264.3–61.09.31.00.42.02.114.9
2024–25 UCLA 343430.164.8–62.09.52.70.92.92.720.2
2025–26 UCLA 373727.758.20.068.68.83.21.02.12.217.1
Career 1339823.761.90.062.07.81.90.72.01.914.6
Statistics retrieved from Sports-Reference[57]

References

  1. 1 2 Newman, Kyle (March 9, 2022). "Grandview's Lauren Betts has lived up to the hype as nation's top prospect — but she still needs a championship". The Denver Post. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  2. ↑ Drumwright, Steve (June 13, 2019). "Lauren Betts Showing She Belongs Among World's Best With Selection to USA U16 National Team". USA Basketball. Red Line Editorial. Archived from the original on June 15, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  3. ↑ Villa, Walter - Women's basketball recruiting: Well-traveled Lauren Betts heads to Chile with USA Basketball. ESPN, June 11, 2019
  4. 1 2 Keeler, Sean (December 8, 2019). "Lauren Betts is 6-foot-7, 16 years old, and hasn't even touched the ceiling yet". The Denver Post. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  5. ↑ Schubert, Matt (January 14, 2021). "Grandview's Lauren Betts commits to Stanford women's basketball, joining two other recent Colorado recruits". The Denver Post. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  6. ↑ Nguyen, Joe (May 27, 2021). "Grandview's Lauren Betts named Gatorade Colorado girls basketball player of the year". The Denver Post. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  7. ↑ Keeler, Sean (March 12, 2022). "Class 5A girls championship: Lauren Betts, Grandview finally get their title, top Valor Christian, 52–40". The Denver Post. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  8. ↑ Needelman, Joshua (May 12, 2022). "Stanford commit Lauren Betts named WBCA Player of Year". Just Women's Sports. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  9. ↑ Nguyen, Joe (March 9, 2022). "Grandview's Lauren Betts named back-to-back Colorado Gatorade Colorado Player of the Year". The Denver Post. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  10. ↑ Desadier, Charlie (June 10, 2022). "No. 1 Senior Lauren Betts is Ready For Her Next Journey at Stanford". Slam. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  11. ↑ Laflin, Shane (January 13, 2021). "Lauren Betts, ranked No. 1 in Class of 2022, commits to Stanford". ESPN. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  12. ↑ Ingemi, Marisa (December 27, 2022). "Lauren Betts is the future of Stanford basketball, even if she isn't the now". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  13. ↑ Parker, Ben (November 10, 2022). "Recap: #2 Stanford WBB dominates CSUN". Rivals. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  14. 1 2 Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (April 18, 2023). "UCLA basketball adds Stanford transfer Lauren Betts, the No. 1 prospect in 2022 class". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  15. ↑ Pickman, Ben (November 24, 2023). "At UCLA, Lauren Betts found a new home, a new start and renewed confidence". The Athletic. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Lauren Betts rejoins No. 9 UCLA for win over Arizona". ESPN. February 10, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
  17. 1 2 Laase, Eden (January 29, 2025). "'I could see her sinking' — How Lauren Betts rediscovered her confidence and found her voice". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Talia von Oelhoffen hits 3-pointer at buzzer to lift No. 11 Oregon State past No. 9 UCLA 79–77". ESPN. Associated Press. February 17, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Lauren Betts scores a career-high 31 points to lead No. 5 UCLA women over Colgate 81–63". Associated Press. November 10, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
  20. ↑ McNeill, Dylan (January 20, 2025). "Lauren Betts sets new UCLA record with nine blocks in win over Baylor". USA Today. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
  21. ↑ Stevens, Patrick (January 26, 2025). "Lauren Betts scores a career-high 33 points as No. 1 UCLA handles No. 8 Maryland, 82–67". Associated Press. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
  22. ↑ De Leon, Anthony (February 20, 2025). "Lauren Betts breaks a school record in No. 3 UCLA's win over No. 25 Illinois". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
  23. ↑ Women’s Basketball Captures Big Ten Championship Over Trojans, 72–67. UCLABRUINS.com, March 9, 2025
  24. ↑ "2025 WBB All-Tournament Team" (PDF). BigTen.org. March 9, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  25. ↑ Feinberg, Doug – JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo headline women’s AP All-America team; Bueckers, Betts, Booker join them. Associated Press, March 19, 2025
  26. ↑ Greenberg, Mel – USBWA unveils 2024–25 Women's All-America Team U.S. Basketball Writers Association, March 19, 2025
  27. ↑ Considine, Madeline – Bruins Star Lauren Betts Reaches New Heights. Sports Illustrated, March 21, 2025
  28. ↑ Considine, Madeleine – Bruins' Anchor Lauren Betts Makes Naismith Push. Sports Illustrated, March 26, 2025
  29. ↑ Cavanaugh, Tom – Bruins' Betts Wins Prestigious National Award. Sports Illustrated, April 3, 2025
  30. ↑ "2024–25 Women's All America Team & Top 5". John R. Wooden Award. John R. Wooden Award. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  31. ↑ NAISMITH BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME REVEALS WINNERS OF MEN AND WOMEN’S NAISMITH STARTING FIVE AWARDS ON ESPN’S COLLEGE GAMEDAY. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame, April 5, 2025
  32. ↑ Women's March Madness: All-Tournament Teams in NCAA history. ESPN, April 8, 2025
  33. ↑ McNeill, Dylan (March 20, 2026). "Lauren Betts voices her appreciation for South Carolina's Dawn Staley". USA Today. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
  34. ↑ Ingemi, Marisa (March 24, 2026). "Lauren Betts scores career-high 35 as UCLA powers past Oklahoma State and into Sweet 16". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  35. ↑ UCLA (March 19, 2026). "I Want To Be Here | By Lauren Betts". The Players' Tribune. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  36. ↑ S; t; e; v; e; F; u; t; t (April 3, 2026). "For UCLA's Lauren Betts, her biggest battle may have been off the court". NPR. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Betts Closes Career with 15th UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week Presented by La Victoria". UCLA. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  38. ↑ Adelson, Andrea (April 5, 2026). "UCLA blows out South Carolina for first women's NCAA title". ESPN. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  39. ↑ "Betts Closes Career with 15th UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week Presented by La Victoria". UCLA. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  40. ↑ "Betts Closes Career with 15th UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week Presented by La Victoria". UCLA. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Betts Closes Career with 15th UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week Presented by La Victoria". UCLA. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  42. ↑ "Betts Closes Career with 15th UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week Presented by La Victoria". UCLA. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  43. ↑ Davis, Danny (April 4, 2026). "UCLA's Lauren Betts hopes fans give Texas star Madison Booker 'a little bit of grace'". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  44. ↑ "Lauren Betts Named Honda Sport Award Winner for Basketball". uclabruins.com. UCLA Athletics. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  45. ↑ "Indiana's Mendoza, UCLA's Betts Named Big Ten Athletes of the Year" (Press release). Big Ten Conference. July 8, 2026. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
  46. ↑ Rubenstein, Alan - UCLA's Lauren Betts Empowers With ESPY's Mental Health Speech. Sports Illustrated, July 15, 2026
  47. ↑ "Lauren Betts furthers Bruin legacy with historic ESPY victory". Daily Bruin. Retrieved July 16, 2026.
  48. ↑ "UCLA's Lauren Betts Earns Honda Cup; Named Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year". collegiatewomensportsawards.com. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  49. ↑ Feinberg, Doug (April 13, 2026). "Dallas Wings select Azzi Fudd of UConn No. 1 in WNBA draft with a $500,000 payday waiting". Associated Press. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  50. 1 2 Laase, Eden (November 2, 2021). "Bigger than tall: How No. 1 recruit Lauren Betts found herself and her voice". Just Women's Sports. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  51. ↑ "Betts, Osborne Claim Silver with USA at 2023 FIBA Women's AmeriCup". UCLA Athletics. July 9, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  52. ↑ Villa, Walter (June 11, 2019). "Women's basketball recruiting: Well-traveled Lauren Betts heads to Chile with USA Basketball". ESPN. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  53. ↑ "Lauren Betts". uclabruins.com. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  54. ↑ Gray, Nick (July 19, 2025). "South Carolina women's basketball star Ta'Niya Latson signs NIL deal with Unrivaled". The Greenville News. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
  55. ↑ Watkins, Claire (September 3, 2025). "Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball Spotlights NCAA Stars in Future Is Unrivaled Collection". Just Women's Sports. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
  56. ↑ Staff, J. W. S. (April 16, 2026). "Reebok Signs No. 4 Draft Pick Lauren Betts to Growing WNBA Roster". Just Women's Sports. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  57. ↑ "Lauren Betts College Stats". Sports-Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lauren Betts.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.