Lauren Betts goes No.4 to the Washington Mystics in historic draft for UCLA Bruins

Lauren Betts officially went No. 4 in the 2026 WNBA Draft to the Washington Mystics on Monday night. After mock drafts had her listed anywhere from No. 2 to No. 4, she landed at the tail end of that. Washington should be very happy that they’re getting a player that can change their franchise. Especially at that No. 4 slot where they picked at. Betts has the potential to be a defensive and offensive anchor for many years to come.

Betts proved how good she can be during the UCLA NCAA tournament run. The team won their first NCAA championship with one of the best defenses of all time. That was fully led by what Betts was able to do. She completely changes the game just by being in the paint and she will help build Washington’s defense up. While also being able to add an offensive game and rebounding to the mix.

Betts finished her UCLA career as one of the best players to ever don a Bruins jersey. There will never be another player like her and all of her accomplishments that she had at UCLA. She did most of them in a lot less games than other players were able to do. Such as becoming the all-time blocks leader in school history in 30 or 40 games less played than other players. She was completely dominant on the defensive end.

Betts offensive game will need some coaching. She is very talented and it will catch up to her eventually the speed of the game. But she is so talented that she cannot be passed up at this pick. A good coaching staff will be able to get her offense level with her elite defense. Allowing her to take off and become an all-star for many years to come.