Lauren Betts

Lauren Marie Betts (born October 15, 2003) is a Spanish-born American college basketball player for the UCLA Bruins of the Big Ten Conference. 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.
Betts was born in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, and moved around the country during her childhood due to the basketball career of her father, Andrew. When she was in third grade, her family settled in the United States. Before focusing on basketball, Betts was involved in dance, swimming and soccer. She played for Grandview High School in Aurora, Colorado. As a freshman, Betts averaged 12.7 points, 8.6 boards and 3.9 blocks per game for the Class 5A runners-up. 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. 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. Betts led her team to the Class 5A state championship in her senior season. 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. She also played in both the McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic.
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.
Betts came off the bench for Stanford in her freshman season. 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. 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.
For her sophomore season, Betts transferred to UCLA. She immediately assumed a greater role with the Bruins as the team's starting center. In January 2024, Betts missed four games due to a medical issue, which was later disclosed as time to focus on her mental health. On February 16, she scored a season-high 24 points in a 79–77 loss to AP No. 11 Oregon State. 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).
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. 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. 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. 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.
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. 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. 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.
Betts was born to Andrew and Michelle Betts. Her mother, Michelle, played volleyball for Long Beach State. She has a sister, Sienna, and two brothers Dylan and Ashton.