Lauren Betts' National Player of the Year Case & No. 1 Pick Potential in the 2026 WNBA Draft

In partnership with

The UCLA Bruins have done what they’re supposed to do, standing up and knocking down every opponent in front of them throughout the 2024-25 season, sitting at 19-0 headed into Sunday’s meeting with Maryland.

While you can nitpick and quibble about strength of schedule, the Bruins have still played the 24th hardest schedule in the country, including a demolition of reigning National Champions, South Carolina. When you take the top billing and have yet to lose and relinquish it, that means something.

UCLA, and particularly star center Lauren Betts, have somewhat flown under the radar as far as top ranked teams go. We’re going to learn a lot more about this squad over the next few weeks of conference play, but we are missing the forest through the trees. This team has DOMINATED the season thus far, and Betts has been integral to that, showcasing herself as a National Player of the Year candidate, and a real option for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.

Before we dive into the rest of the piece, a quick shoutout to Locked On for sponsoring today’s article! Tap in down below to checkout how you can get added benefits as an NBA insider.

Reasons you should be a Locked On NBA insider

What’s up, NBA fans! From our expert hosts who cover your team every day on our podcasts, we offer a free daily newsletter delivered right to your email so you don’t miss any of the action on the court. Get expert analysis, game previews, post-game breakdowns, trade talk, draft coverage, and more. We curate your daily ticket to everything NBA, giving you the rundown for each NBA team and the league news you need to know. Be one of thousands of fans who are already insiders - fast and easy.

Subscribe for free

Owning the Rim

Point blank period, Lauren Betts is the most impactful rim protector in college basketball. You can see that and feel it in watching. Her raw numbers (2.9 blocks per game) also point to her ability to wall of the paint.

But, dip into the advanced stats, and you get a full picture of her dominance.

Per CBB Analytics, opponents are shooting just 44.4% at the rim when Lauren Betts is on the court. That’s the top mark amongst power conference teams.

Not only is Betts elite at erasing attempts or altering them, she’s been stellar at deterring them altogether.mWhen Betts is on the floor, only 17.1% of opponent shots come at the rim, also the lowest mark amongst power teams.

Saying there’s a “fear factor” with Betts at the rim sounds ridiculous, but she’s so imposing it feels applicable. At 6’7, she possesses phenomenal mobility, capable of playing out further on the perimeter and even switching onto guards and wings. This season however, I feel Betts has just mastered some of the nuances of being as impactful as possible.

She was a good defender last season, her first in Los Angeles, but has arguably been the best in the country this year. Particularly in pick and roll plays, she’s shown a real aptitude for playing the cat and mouse game required to shut down two player actions at the highest level. You see her thinking and feeling possessions before things fully unfold.

That’s how you go from very good to elite.

Watch this possession.

Baylor routinely plays 3 and 4 guard lineups, which I was excited to see how Betts and UCLA handled. They have tremendous size and length, but how do you counter that quickness?

Early work and communication.

Betts felt out levels in drop and recovery angles early in the game as Baylor looked to try and put her in action to draw her away from the paint. This out of bounds play fed into that plan from Baylor

• Throw a quick guard screen at Betts

• Put the 4 & 5 in an action simultaneously

Betts and Janiah Barker navigate the cross screen well, and then Betts shows on the pick and roll as Barker works to get back in front after being screened.

This is where you see some of that extra thinking gear come through, as Betts immediately roams back to her assignment as Barker gets back in front and the ball swings. So often, a drive involving a 5 that shows or applies pressure is going to result in the ball going 1 pass away and then entered to the post to try and catch the defending 5 in a bind or on the back foot.

Betts touches up on Vonleh before the ball is entered, then does a subtle but significant job in reworking to establish her position on the block, taking away a quick pivot to the interior if Vonleh were to keep inside position on the basket.

Betts walls up, stays airtight on the pivot to the middle, and blocks the shot without jumping. That was just one of many fantastic defensive possessions from UCLA’s nationally televised win over a solid Baylor team.

Efficient Offense

UCLA currently maintains a top 10 offense in the country, and their efficiency as a team inside the arc is a large reason why.

The Bruins are shooting 57.7% on two pointers (4th highest number in the country) and are a much improved and more versatile shooting team than last season. Most importantly, the decision-making and composure of this group as a whole has taken a significant leap from last season.

Betts has become a paradox in the paint: Leave her in single coverage/play gimmicky defense and try not to get roasted, or send help and let her score anyways or pick you apart with passing.

She’s shooting 66.9% on halfcourt layup attempts per Synergy Sports. When juxtaposing that with the 44.4% that opponents shoot at the rim when she’s defending, that puts into mind just how much she can warp the paint in favor of UCLA.

But, it’s the way she’s weaponized her gravity as a paint presence that continues to stand out. She’s so patient with the ball in her hands, which stands out to me immensely. It’s one thing to be the biggest player on the court, it’s another to use that as a tool, and Betts does it constantly by playing with control, a key aspect of her finishing along with good touch on the ball.

Watch here as Betts picks out and turns single coverage into an open shot.

I was pretty impressed with how Rutgers tried to muck things up and fly around on defense, part of what made Betts’ patience hit even harder in this game.

When she catches the ball in the mid-post, she turns to look over her shoulder, and we see her defended by one player, but a plethora of eyes and feet shaded towards her. There’s no one doubling, but help is present.

This is what we call gravity!

5 sets of eyes are glued to one player.

That’s what makes this play matter. Lauren Betts CAN take her player one on one and likely win, evading help if she spins back to her right. She probably could force it in the middle and still be efficient, because she’s that good.

Instead, she sees an open teammate, takes a dribble to the interior, and forces a full on rotation by the defense. If she makes the kick out as soon as she brings her head up, it’s technically open, but it’s an easy closeout for the defense and you have to reset the offense.

Now, Betts has 3 defenders sucked into the paint, and that shot is wide open for a ready and set Kiki Rice.

That’s patience, control, and using your own skillset to shift a defense.

While Betts’s bread and butter is her post play, she’s meshed her elite presence in the paint with fluid decision-making when she’s outside the free throw line, operating as a hub of the offense or a screen and roll partner.

As UCLA breaks Rutgers’ press, Betts plays from the middle of the court and pings the ball to the opposite side.

Rather than rolling right down and sealing in the post immediately, Betts works a quick two player action with Rice, quickly dipping into a handoff and then rolling down to seal her man.

Putting some extra motion into the defense makes the post entry easier, gives Betts some momentum on the roll down, and blends actions together, making a defense think and react instead of just standing still

Perhaps where you feel Betts’ presence most is what it opens up for her teammates as cutters, one of my favorite aspects of UCLA’s offense around her.

Coming down in the trail spot, Betts flows into a pick and roll with Rice, which Baylor defends with a late switch to keep Rice from scoring at the rim. This in turn gets Betts tremendous and deep position once again.

The ball is entered to her by Gabriela Jaquez from the wing, Betts draws a second defender, and she kicks the ball back out to Jaquez.

The help defender (Rice’s defender) clears out as Rice relocates and Jaquez attacks her defender’s hips after she’d turned to Betts. Betts does a good job of lifting out of the post as Jaquez drives, and it’s an easy basket for one of the most efficient players in basketball (Gabriela Jaquez rocks).

UCLA is in the 95th percentile in the country in cutting efficiency, shooting 69% on attempts off of cuts, which is staggering.

The Bruins are deep, talented, cohesive, and play great collective basketball: Betts is the engine that provides a baseline for this group on either end of the court.

No player is perfect, that goes without saying, but Betts’ skillset is one to watch for at the next level, playing in a modern style, showcasing versatility at a high level, and with room for even more growth.

I’d love to see her continue to grow as a free throw shooter. She’s elite at getting to the line, and starting to capitalize even further would be huge for her development. Her playmaking has impressed and I’ll be keyed in to see how she continues to grow in her quickness as a decision-maker and the reads she makes routinely as she sees more diverse coverages.

Lauren Betts has the makings of a franchise cornerstone at the center position, and the UCLA Bruins are on top of college basketball based off of her presence.