Lauren Betts: Dominance on the Court and UCLA's Journey to Success

UCLA women's basketball, led by standout player Lauren Betts, has been making significant strides, showcasing both individual brilliance and team depth. Betts's impact on the court, along with the collective effort of her teammates, has been instrumental in UCLA's success. This article delves into Betts's contributions, the team's performance, and the overall dynamics that define UCLA's approach to the game.

Recent Game Highlights

In a recent game, No. 3 UCLA women’s basketball emerged victorious over No. 25 Illinois by a score of 70-55. UCLA kept Illinois scoreless for the first four minutes of play, quickly finding its stride on the offensive side. Junior guard Londynn Jones contributed to the Bruins’ offensive success, knocking down 3-of-4 first half shots, including UCLA’s only 3-point make. Junior forward Gabriela Jaquez led the Bruins in steals with a team-high three during the first half. Illinois refused to be put away without a fight, outscoring UCLA 21-11 in the third quarter and trimming the Bruin lead to four. The Bruins opened the fourth quarter on a 13-5 run, with the help of a flurry of buckets from junior guard Kiki Rice.

The game also marked the annual Play4Kay Breast Cancer Awareness Game, in support of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Prior to tip-off, a silent auction was held featuring team-signed memorabilia and exclusive experiences, with all proceeds benefiting the Play4Kay Cancer Fund.

Lauren Betts: A Dominant Force

Leading the way for the Bruins is junior center and National Player of the Year candidate Lauren Betts. Betts has been the most dominant player her size this season. Considering the average height of women’s players is much shorter than men, Betts is sizable. Betts averaged nearly a double-double this season - 19.7 points and 9.7 rebounds.

UCLA coach Cori Close noted, “We’ve seen (teams) sandwich up even before she ever touches the ball, trying to limit touches. It’s really a matter of how many people they’re sending to her and what that looks like. But we’ve seen every kind of rotation … it’s never hardly ever 1-on-1."

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Betts herself emphasizes the importance of team execution, stating, "I just want to make sure the team executes the way we want."

WNBA and Future Plans

WNBA-draft eligible, Betts said she plans to return for her senior season.

Team Dynamics and Strategy

Rick noted, “It makes life easy for anyone playing with her. Lauren catches any pass … she finds her shooters on the perimeter. She’s a great person and a great teammate. … It just makes life easy for me."

NCAA Tournament and Team Depth

No. 1 overall seed UCLA made it to the Elite Eight because of how it plays around All-American center Lauren Betts. It made it out because of how it can play without her.

Facing the No. 3 seed LSU Tigers, UCLA could not muster its usual dominance in the paint. Betts was forced to the bench early with uncharacteristic foul trouble. Even when she was on the floor, she was never quite able to get comfortable, double-teamed and stymied by a tough defense from LSU. And there was similarly little room to maneuver for the rest of this frontcourt. UCLA had its worst two-point shooting percentage of any game all season at 35.5%.

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The Bruins still led for most of the afternoon. They lost the battle for rebounds (43 to 38) and points in the paint (26 to 16), yet they won the game, 72-65. This is not exactly how they like to operate, but they can if they must.

Betts had what might qualify as a very solid game for nearly any other player in the country. She finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and six blocks in 25 minutes. But that is not what the Bruins have come to expect from Betts. Nearly all of their major successes here this season have flowed through her: Betts was the leading scorer in UCLA’s first three NCAA tournament games, and she was on the floor nearly every minute of their biggest wins earlier this year, against the South Carolina Gamecocks and USC Trojans. The Bruins generally win by playing through Betts. They certainly do not win by playing with her on the bench for the entire second quarter. But they had little choice Sunday: Betts picked up two fouls in a first quarter that UCLA finished trailing by four points. Her coach knew that she would have to sit.

Coach's Perspective and Team Philosophy

“Every game is going to create [a] sort of chaos,” Close said. This was one the team had not faced much this season. It was one that the coach believed the Bruins could handle. They had spoken all year about the importance of every last member of the roster and what it meant to be selfless and stay ready to execute when called upon. Now they had a chance to prove it. UCLA outscored LSU without Betts in the second quarter by a margin of 22-12.

“The game was lost in the second quarter,” said LSU coach Kim Mulkey. “That’s where the game was lost. We didn’t capitalize on Betts being off the floor.”

If the Bruins could not do their usual work inside, fine, Close would have them work outside. The Bruins will not be able to cut down another net without major contributions from Betts. Yet they will not be able to do it without the rest of their roster, either, and Close asked more of them than in any game so far in this NCAA tournament.

“You can make up sayings all the time, you can put stuff on the back of your shirts, you can put it up on the wall,” Close said. “But it doesn't mean anything if it doesn't influence behavior.”

Overcoming Challenges

Junior forward Janiah Barker, who has averaged 8.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for the Bruins, made a trip to the locker room after sustaining a knee injury early in the second quarter. "I didn’t think it was something serious,” Close said.

Reflections on Past Games

Betts shifted to her right and converted her left-handed shot attempted as Meister fouled her. She had just 8 points after the made basket just less than two and a half minutes into the second quarter.

“I thought our scouting report, the kids really tried to execute the scouting report today,” Indiana head coach Teri Moren said postgame. “They did. They did everything we asked them. Betts, who earned preseason All-American honors, notched 6 points in the opening quarter as the Bruins led the Hoosiers by just 2 points.

Although Indiana scored 23 points in the third quarter, UCLA matched thanks in large part to Betts. “We were trying to push her out, trying to keep her away from the low block, trying to get the leverage from our legs,” Moren said. “We were trying to crowd her as much as we could off of other players, we call them our money spots, which were just opened up a little bit more and trying to detour the ball from coming inside.

Cori Close's Leadership and Vision

Cori Close cut down the net but kept the scissors, wanting to share a piece with her mother, Patti. Patti has watched her daughter build this UCLA program into a contender over the last decade and a half. She has also watched her build a village. “It’s a wonderful community now,” Patti Close says. “And it wasn’t that way when she came, but she’s drawn all these people in with her.”

There is so much talk of belief and love here that it could be tedious if it did not seem so sincere. “It takes a village to build a program,” Close said later on the dais, trophy by her side.

Other UCLA News and Events

Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Darnell Hunt announced the appointment of Margaret Shih as interim dean of UCLA Anderson School of Management, effective July 1, 2025.

Additionally, Catherine Criswell Spear, executive director of the UC Office of Civil Rights, announced the appointment of Meena Morey Chandra as the inaugural systemwide anti-discrimination director and Wendy Tobias as the inaugural disability rights director.

Both upcoming solo exhibitions at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, feature members of the UCLA Arts community: Will Rawls’ [siccer] and Jackie Castillo’s Through the Descent, Like the Return.

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