Lauren Betts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lauren Betts

Betts with UCLA in 2026
No. 51 – UCLA Bruins
Center
Personal information
Born	(2003-10-15) October 15, 2003 (age 22) Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Nationality	American
High school	Grandview (Aurora, Colorado)
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Career information
College	Stanford (2022–2023) UCLA (2023–2026)
League	Big Ten Conference
Career highlights and awards
NCAA champion (2026) NCAA Tournament MOP (2026) 2× First-team All-American – USBWA, AP (2025, 2026) 2× WBCA Coaches' All-American (2025, 2026) Naismith Defensive Player of the Year (2025) WBCA Defensive Player of the Year (2025) 2× Lisa Leslie Award (2025, 2026) Big Ten Player of the Year (2026) 2× Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2025, 2026) 2× First-team All-Big Ten (2025, 2026) 2× Big Ten All-Defensive Team (2025, 2026) Big Ten tournament MOP (2025) All-Pac-12 Team (2024) Pac-12 All-Defensive Team (2024) McDonald's All-American (2022)
Medals Women's basketball Representing the  United States FIBA AmeriCup Silver 2023 Mexico Team FIBA Under-19 World Cup Gold 2021 Hungary Team FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship Gold 2019 Chile Team

Lauren Marie Betts, born on October 15, 2003, is a talented American college basketball player. She plays as a center for the UCLA Bruins in the Big Ten Conference. Before college, Lauren was a top player at Grandview High School in Aurora, Colorado. ESPN even ranked her as the best recruit in her class! She began her college journey with the Stanford Cardinal. After one season, she moved to UCLA. With the Bruins, she earned the title of first-team All-American twice. In 2026, Lauren led UCLA to win the national championship. She was also named the Most Outstanding Player (MOP) of the NCAA tournament that year.

Lauren Betts' Early Life and High School Basketball

Lauren Betts was born in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. Her family moved often because of her father's basketball career. When she was in third grade, they settled in the United States. Before basketball, Lauren enjoyed dance, swimming, and soccer.

She attended Grandview High School in Aurora, Colorado. As a freshman, she scored about 13 points and grabbed 9 rebounds per game. Her team finished as Class 5A runners-up. In her sophomore year, she averaged nearly 18 points and 11 rebounds. She led her team to the state title game, but it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During her junior year, Lauren averaged 17.5 points and 11 rebounds. She helped Grandview achieve an impressive 17–1 record. Her team reached the Class 5A semifinals. She was also named Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year. In her senior season, Lauren led her team to win the Class 5A state championship. She averaged 17.2 points, 11 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks. She won the High School Player of the Year award from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Lauren also earned Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year again. She played in the prestigious McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic.

Becoming a Top College Recruit

Experts considered Lauren a five-star recruit. ESPN ranked her as the number one player in the 2022 class. On January 13, 2021, she chose to play college basketball for Stanford. She had many other offers from top schools like Notre Dame and UCLA.

Lauren Betts' College Basketball Journey

Freshman Year at Stanford (2022–23)

Lauren started her college career playing for Stanford. She often came off the bench as a freshman. In November 2022, she scored a season-high 18 points. She also grabbed six rebounds and made three blocks in a big win. She averaged almost 6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Lauren earned an honorable mention for the Pac-12 All-Freshman team.

Sophomore Year at UCLA (2023–24)

For her second year, Lauren transferred to UCLA. She quickly became a key player, starting as the team's center. In January 2024, Lauren took a short break from playing. This time allowed her to focus on her personal well-being. She returned strong, scoring a season-high 24 points in February. By the end of the season, she averaged nearly 15 points and 9 rebounds per game. Lauren was named to the All-Pac-12 Team. She also made the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team.

Junior Year: A Standout Season (2024–25)

Lauren's junior year was amazing. In November 2024, she scored 31 points and had nine rebounds against Colgate. In January 2025, she set a UCLA record with nine blocks in one game! She also scored 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Later that month, she achieved a career-high 33 points against Maryland. She shot incredibly well, making 14 of 15 shots. This broke a UCLA record for field goal percentage. In February, she broke another UCLA record for single-season blocks.

The Bruins had a fantastic season, even beating the defending champions, South Carolina. They were ranked number one in the country. Lauren led UCLA to their first Big Ten Tournament Championship. They also achieved their first season with 30 wins. Lauren was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. She was also recognized as a First Team All-American by both the AP and USBWA. Lauren was a finalist for the Naismith Women's Player of the Year award. She won the 2025 Naismith Women’s College Defensive Player of the Year. She also received the Lisa Leslie Award, given to the top college center. Lauren helped the Bruins reach the 2025 Final Four. She was named to the Final Four all-tournament team.

Senior Year: National Champions (2025–26)

In her senior season, Lauren continued to excel. She won her second Lisa Leslie Award. She was named the Big Ten Player of the Year. Lauren also earned the title of Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second time. She led UCLA to win both the Big Ten regular season title and the tournament championship. The Bruins then went on to win the 2026 national championship! Lauren was named the NCAA tournament MOP for her incredible performance.

Playing for Team USA

Lauren Betts with the 2023 U.S. FIBA AmeriCup team

Lauren has proudly represented the USA in international competitions.

Gold Medal at FIBA Under-16 Championship

In 2019, she won a gold medal with the U.S. under-16 national team. This was at the FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Chile. She averaged over 12 points and 13 rebounds per game. Her excellent play earned her all-tournament honors.

FIBA Under-19 World Cup Gold

Lauren was the youngest player on the U.S. under-19 national team in 2021. They competed at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Hungary. She helped her team win another gold medal. She averaged about 11 points and 9.6 rebounds.

Silver Medal at FIBA AmeriCup

In 2023, Lauren played for the senior national team at the FIBA AmeriCup in Mexico. Her team won a silver medal. She averaged over 11 points and 10 rebounds per game.

Lauren Betts' Family and Interests

Lauren's parents are Andrew and Michelle Betts. Her father, Andrew Betts, was a professional basketball player. He played for the Great Britain and England national teams. He also played for top European clubs. Her mother, Michelle, was a talented volleyball player. She won a national title with Long Beach State in 1993.

Lauren has a sister named Sienna, who also plays basketball at UCLA. She also has two brothers, Dylan and Ashton.

Business Ventures

In July 2025, Lauren and her sister, Sienna, signed deals with Unrivaled. This is a 3x3 basketball league. They were part of "The Future is Unrivaled Class of 2025."

Career Statistics

College