Senior Lauren Betts of UCLA has been named to the John R. Wooden Award Women’s Late Midseason Top 20 Watch List for the 2025-26 season, as announced by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
Betts leads her team with an average of 16.2 points per game and a shooting percentage of 57.0 percent. She is also averaging 2.1 blocks, 1.0 steals, and 8.2 rebounds per game this season. Her performance against Oregon in UCLA’s Big Ten opener included 24 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks, earning her Big Ten Player of the Week honors on December 8 and recognition as one of five USBWA Women’s National Players of the Week.
She has recorded six games this season with at least five assists and currently ranks fourth on UCLA’s roster with a total of 69 assists.
Betts was again named Big Ten Player of the Week on January 5 after leading UCLA to three consecutive wins to open conference play, including victories over ranked opponents No.19 Ohio State University and No.17 USC. During that stretch, she averaged 20.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per game, recording her fourth and fifth double-doubles of the season.
On January 7, both Betts and senior Kiki Rice were included in the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 list. Betts currently leads the Big Ten Conference with nine double-doubles this season; she had three consecutive double-doubles in January against USC, Nebraska, and Minnesota, along with a notable performance against No.8 Michigan where she posted 16 points and 16 rebounds.
The John R. Wooden Award was established in 1976 to honor outstanding players in college basketball for both men’s and women’s divisions each year, as well as recognize All-America Teams and coaching legends associated with college basketball achievements.
“Honorees are certified by their universities as meeting Wooden Award standards established by Coach Wooden, including progress toward graduation and at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA,” according to information provided by organizers.
Past recipients include prominent athletes such as Larry Bird (1979), Michael Jordan (1984), Tim Duncan (1997), Kevin Durant (2007), Candace Parker (2007 & 2008), Maya Moore (2009 & 2011), Chiney Ogwumike (2014), Juju Watkins (USC) from last year’s women’s division winner, among others.
Since its inception nearly fifty years ago, the award program has contributed close to one million dollars to university scholarship funds and nonprofit organizations named after All-American honorees while providing opportunities for more than one thousand underprivileged children to attend week-long college basketball camps.
Each year during John R. Wooden Award Weekend at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, Special Olympics Southern California athletes participate alongside award nominees in a day-long basketball tournament organized through a partnership between Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) and the John R. Wooden Award program.
The mission statement reads: “The mission of the John R. Wooden Award Foundation (JRWAF) is to promote teamwork, academic excellence, and character development, reflecting the enduring values of John R. Wooden.” The foundation operates independently as a nonprofit organization supporting educational initiatives through guidance from its board of directors.
For more information about updates or event details related to these awards or associated activities at Los Angeles Athletic Club visit WoodenAward.com or LAAC.com.
