Senior Lauren Betts of UCLA Women’s Basketball was named the Student-Athlete of the Week presented by La Victoria for her performances during athletic competitions held between March 24 and March 30, according to an April 1 announcement.
Betts received this recognition after being named the Sacramento 2 Regional Most Outstanding Player. She led the No. 1-seed Bruins back to the Final Four for a second consecutive season. During this period, Betts became UCLA’s all-time leading shot blocker with a total of 230 blocks over three seasons, surpassing Monique Billings’ previous record of 228 blocks set between 2014 and 2018.
In tournament play, Betts contributed significantly with standout performances. Against No. 4 Minnesota in the Sweet Sixteen, she recorded sixteen points, five rebounds, three assists, and five blocks. She followed up with a double-double—twenty-three points and ten rebounds—alongside five more blocks against No. 3 Duke in the Elite Eight round. Across both games in Sacramento, she accumulated ten total rejections and made sixteen out of twenty-three field goals for a shooting percentage of nearly seventy percent.
With these achievements, Betts now leads active players in NCAA tournament scoring with ninety-six points and has secured her fourteenth career UCLA student-athlete of the week award.
Other nominees for this week’s honor included Ensley Alden/Kaley Mathews (Beach Volleyball), Gabriel Clement II (Men’s Track & Field), Josh Kim (Men’s Golf), Novice Eight Plus (Women’s Rowing), Andrew Rowan (Men’s Volleyball), Paige Sommers (Women’s Track & Field), and Lauren Steele (Women’s Water Polo). Previous winners have represented various sports throughout the academic year.
