UCLA’s Lauren Betts, Paige Bueckers Named Finalists for Naismith Award

LOS ANGELES – Junior Lauren Betts of UCLA has been named one of four finalists for the 2025 Jersey Mike's Naismith Women’s Player of the Year award, further establishing her position among college basketball’s elite. The nomination was announced following a stellar season in which Betts set a new single-season program record with 90 blocks.

On March 21, Betts was also recognized as a finalist for the Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year. This season, she has averaged 2.9 blocks per game, a statistic that leads the Big Ten and ranks fifth nationally. Her performance peaked when she recorded nine blocks against then-No. 25 Baylor on January 20, setting a single-game record for the Bruins.

The Naismith Player of the Year award will be presented on April 2 at a press conference during the Women’s Final Four at the Embarc Collective in Tampa. In a new twist this year, fans can participate in determining the winner through the Naismith Awards Fan Vote. Starting on March 25, fans can cast their ballots for one of the finalists on social media or the Naismith website. Voting ends at noon EDT on April 1, and fans are limited to one vote per day, contributing to 5% of the total determining the winner.

“Lauren just makes the game easy for everyone on this team,” said junior guard Kiki Rice after a recent matchup. “Her ability to shoulder so much weight and show up for us every single day is incredible.” Betts demonstrated this capability during a decisive 84–67 victory against No. 9-seed Richmond, scoring 30 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.

In Storrs, Conn., UConn guard Paige Bueckers was also named a finalist for the 2025 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Women’s Player of the Year. As a redshirt senior, Bueckers has showcased her exceptional talent by averaging 19.2 points and 4.8 assists per game, along with a remarkable shooting split of .542/.411/.902. Additionally, she leads the nation with a 3.9 assist-turnover ratio.

Bueckers became the fastest player in UConn history to reach 2,000 career points, accomplishing the feat in just 102 games. “It would be tremendous to win again, especially in my final season,” Bueckers said. “The support from my teammates and coaching staff has been incredible.”

She has been recognized for her exceptional performance this season with a consensus First Team All-American selection and is also a finalist for the Wade Trophy and the Nancy Lieberman Award. Bueckers was the Naismith Trophy winner during the 2020-2021 season, becoming the first freshman to earn the prestigious award.

Joining Betts and Bueckers as finalists for this year’s award are Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame and JuJu Watkins of Southern California. With seven Huskies having previously won the Naismith Trophy a total of 11 times, the upcoming award ceremony is a critical event in women’s college basketball.

The momentum from these nominations increases as both UCLA and UConn prepare for the upcoming rounds of the NCAA Tournament, with Betts and the Bruins set to face No. 5-seed Ole Miss on March 28.