Lauren Betts Christmas time check in after 12 games

Lauren Betts entered the season as the runaway No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. She is a dominant force that can anchor both an offense and defense. That is very rare to find in a player at any level. She is elite defensively in the paint and can score 20+ in any given game while chipping in 10+ rebounds. Last year she averaged 20.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, while doing so on 64.8% shooting. Leading to UCLA making a deep run into March to the Final Four.

This year, her stats weren’t expected to be as high as last year. With her sister Sienna coming in and the transfer of Gianna Kneepkens. She wouldn’t need to be as dominant as she has been in the past. With the improvements that Gabriela Jaquez and Kiki Rice were expected to make as well. Betts could sacrifice some numbers for a title chase. All while improving efficiency, which in turn would keep her at the top of WNBA Draft boards.

Her numbers have definitely dipped this year on both offense and defense. She is averaging 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. While her field goal percentage has dropped six points to 58.7%. She is also blocking less shots at 2.2 per game, which she was at 2.9 per game last year. Granted, she has battled a little bit of a shoulder injury. Which kept her out of a game and hampered her in the Texas game which UCLA lost. But she is starting to get back to her old ways now that she is healthy.

Over the last three games, Betts is averaging 20.3 points and 8.7 rebounds while blocking 2.7 shots per game. This is the type of basketball that UCLA will need during this Big Ten schedule. She has recently dropped on draft boards to between pick No. 3 and No. 4. But she has the talent to work her way back up to No. 1. It also all depends on what that team may need. She has all the ability in the world and when she is on there are not many people that can stop her on either end.