End of 2025 regular season review Lauren Betts shakes off slow start to dominate again

Lauren Betts struggled to open the 2025 season. She battled an elbow injury early in the season that affected her in the Texas game. Consequently, that is the only game that UCLA has lost this year. They have now been on a 22-game winning streak and finished the regular season 28-1. While also going 18-0 for a perfect Big Ten record. Betts shook her injury off to become her dominant self again on offense and defense. Once again being the Bruins best player just as she was in 2024.

Betts is a double double machine. She can go for 20 points and 10 rebounds on any given night as well as give you three blocks. Her game changing skills on both sides of the ball have led to her being one of the top draft picks in the 2026 WNBA Draft. Quite possibly if a center is needed, she still has the ability to go No. 1 overall. She is that good on both ends of the floor and it is very rare to find a player that can anchor both ends of the floor.

Betts didn’t need to average 20 and 10 like she did in 2024. This Bruins team is absolutely loaded and the additions of Gianna Kneepens and Charlisse Leger-Walker helped tremendously. But she is more than capable of doing that whenever she needs to. Betts also shows up in big games against ranked teams and that is something big-time players do. It is also a reason why she is up for the top player in the nation.

UCLA will go as far as Betts takes them. Which very well may be a national championship. They would be the first one in the college history for the women. Something that is completely attainable as long as they continue to play the way they have. They most likely will have to go through their kryptonite of UCONN. But that is what great team teams do. Winning championships is not easy and Betts has the ability to end her college career by doing it.