Lauren Betts has pro ball in her blood from NBA – Sports News
UCLA standout Lauren Betts has propelled the Bruins to a second consecutive Final Four look, placing up 23 factors and pulling down 10 rebounds in a commanding 70-58 Elite Eight victory over Duke.
The 6-foot-7 heart is extensively projected as a top-five choose in the 2026 WNBA Draft, and she or he will not be the one member of her household to have been chosen in a skilled draft.
Her father, Andrew Betts, was taken fiftieth general in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. A local of England, the elder Betts started his basketball profession with the Leicester Riders earlier than crossing the Atlantic to play for LIU, later rising to prominence at Long Beach State.
During his remaining season there, Andrew Betts averaged an spectacular 18.7 factors and 10.1 rebounds per sport, drawing the eye of NBA scouts. It was additionally at Long Beach State that he met his future spouse, Michelle, who was the driving power behind the varsity’s championship-winning volleyball group.
While Andrew Betts’ skilled profession in the U.S. was restricted, he went on to compete in Greece, Italy, and Spain, and likewise earned 62 caps for the English national basketball group, together with an look on the 2009 Eurobasket match.
Lauren and her sister Sienna, who additionally performs for UCLA, had been each born whereas the household was dwelling in Spain. In a 2026 piece for The Players’ Tribune, Lauren mirrored warmly on her upbringing in Western Europe. “Before I ever picked up a ball, I was just a little kid following my dad around Europe, while he was playing basketball professionally,” she recalled. “Since my dad worked a lot, it was usually just my mom, my siblings, Sienna, and (younger brother) Dylan, and me.”
“When we weren’t at school, we were at the beach, or out somewhere eating good food. I look back at photos sometimes, and I’m just kind of stunned that I had such a magical childhood, living in Spain and traveling to all these countries.”
Lauren confronted challenges during her NCAA stint at Stanford, struggling to secure common courtroom time. Following only one season, she made the transfer to UCLA.
Despite a rocky starting with the Bruins – Betts was quickly admitted to a psychiatric facility – she finally thrived. Last week, the standout heart earned her second straight All-American group choice.
The 2026 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year has an spectacular résumé, with solely an NCAA championship title eluding her assortment of accolades.
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