Former UCLA center Lauren Betts won the ESPY for Best College Athlete – Women’s Sports on Wednesday night, beating out Pittsburgh volleyball’s Olivia Babcock, Northwestern lacrosse’s Madison Taylor and Oklahoma gymnastics’ Faith Torrez. She is the first Bruin to ever receive the award.
Betts, who transferred to UCLA from Stanford after her freshman campaign, was crucial throughout the 2025-26 season, particularly during the Bruins’ national championship run. The Bruins went 37-1 during her senior campaign, concluding the year with a national championship, a perfect Big Ten record and their second Big Ten Tournament championship in as many seasons.
The Centennial, Colorado, local sat at No. 1 in the nation in field goal percentage and blocks per game. She was named Big Ten Player of the Year and back-to-back Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Her consistency improved throughout the season – three of her four single-digit-scoring games took place during the first eight matchups of the season.
Throughout the Bruins’ March Madness run, Betts’ clip from the field did not dip below 60%, with three of the six games seeing her produce at a 70-plus percent mark. She also recorded four double-doubles through UCLA’s six tournament games, including three straight to end the season. Betts had 17 blocks during the tournament, including two games with five denials.
But the most crucial came in UCLA’s rematch against Texas in the Final Four. After the Longhorns beat the Bruins in the latter’s only loss of the season, Betts sent fellow First Team All-American Madison Booker’s shot flying away from the rim in what could have been a game-changing layup. UCLA advanced to its first national championship appearance in the March Madness era on the back of Betts’ 16 points and 11 rebounds on 7-for-10 shooting from the field.
Another double-double from the center in the championship – 14 points and 11 rebounds – secured the title for the Bruins and the honor of Most Outstanding Player for Betts. Despite her historic season, the two-time First Team All-American came up short for certain national awards. She was a finalist for Naismith Player of the Year and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year – the award she was honored with after the 2024-25 season – but UConn’s Sarah Strong and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo ultimately beat her out.
One week after Betts’ senior campaign concluded, she was selected fourth overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics, making her the first of the historic six Bruins to hear their names called that evening. Betts joins a list of top women’s basketball players honored with this award, including four WNBA MVPs in Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker, Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart.
Betts was also named the 2026 Big Ten Conference Female Athlete of the Year. The 6-foot-7 center led UCLA to the program’s first NCAA title this past season. She joined former USC legend Cheryl Miller and Breanna Stewart of Connecticut as one of only three players in history to record at least 600 points, 300 rebounds, 100 assists and 75 blocked shots in a single season.
Betts’ historic campaign included becoming the first player to win the Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same season. UCLA finished 37-1 and routed second-seeded Iowa, 96-45, in the Big Ten Tournament championship game – the largest margin of victory in the event’s history.
