For the first time in school history, the UCLA Bruins’ women’s basketball program is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament — and junior center Lauren Betts is a major reason why.
The transfer from Stanford is averaging nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, and the Bruins ran through the regular season with only two losses. Now on the sport’s biggest stage, Betts, 21, is using the opportunity to not only chase a championship but to represent tall women everywhere.
“As tall women, I think it’s just really amazing to find the beauty in our height and to just show off our assets and show off our length and our legs,” Betts told Us Weekly exclusively on Wednesday, March 19. “That’s really cool to see.”
Betts is going through her prolific college career at a time when more attention than ever is on women’s basketball. With the women’s college and pro games breaking viewership and attendance records regularly, Betts has the benefit of coming after other great, tall players, while setting an example for those coming after.
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“I will say I love to see any tall female basketball players in general, especially ones who are so confident in themselves and are able to showcase the way they look on their social media,” she continued. “I just think that’s always really cool to see other confident tall women.”
While Betts didn’t mention any WNBA players by name, stars like A’ja Wilson and Cameron Brink (both 6-foot-4) are balancing their success on the court with modeling, endorsement deals and commercials off of it.
But ask any high-profile women’s basketball player and they’ll tell you their mission is to elevate the entire sport, not just the front court. Betts listed a host of players, mostly guards, who also have her attention this March.
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“I will say Paige Bueckers is always a good one,” she said. “MiLaysia Fulwiley, JuJu Watkins, Kiki Iriafen. I can list Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles, Sonia Citron. I can name a lot more, but there’s lots of people who are going to have a great breakout in this March Madness run, so I’m excited for everybody.”
Naturally, Betts expects her team to be the last one standing in April. She also expects Bueckers’ UConn Huskies and Fulwiley’s South Carolina Gamecocks to make deep runs.
“I think UConn will really have a really good run,” she predicted. “I think South Carolina will have a good run, but obviously I know that we’ll end up on top.”
UCLA will begin tournament play by hosting Southern on Friday, March 21, at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.
With reporting by Stephanie Kaloi
