Bruins’ Sienna Betts Under Microscope After Sunday’s Victory

Taking a look at Sienna Betts' performance against Northwestern

Jan 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Purdue Boilermakers forward Kendall Puryear (22) and UCLA Bruins forward Sienna Betts (16) position for a rebound in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

After a rough game against Purdue, Sienna Betts was able to put together a solid performance against the Wildcats.

Since Sienna Betts was cleared to play on Dec. 16, her performances have fluctuated significantly. However, it really looks like she is starting to find her groove within the lineup, with her finally finding consistent minutes.

What Went Well?

Dec 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Sienna Betts (16) reaches in front of Long Beach State Beach guard Khylee Pepe (13) for a pass during the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Against Northwestern, Betts scored six points on 60% shooting, along with six rebounds and four assists. While she did not light up the scoreboard, she made massive strides rebounding, which tied her season high of six.

We also saw Betts reach a season high in assists with four. Before she even saw the court, a lot of hype surrounding Betts was her elite feel for the court, and passing abilities. In this game was saw what she capable of, and we hope to see more of that moving forward.

Dec 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Long Beach State Beach forward Rosie Akot (2) is defended by UCLA Bruins forward Sienna Betts (16) as she drives to the basket during the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Her defense was also played a role in this one, as she was able to record one block and one steal. While at times she was a bit sloppy, she showed flashes of the defensive player she could be. As a freshman with a small sample size, any defensive improvements are huge for her development.

What Went Wrong?

Dec 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) helps forward Sienna Betts (16) as she battles Long Beach State Beach forward Kennan Ka (5) for a loose ball during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

To be fair there were not many things that went wrong for Betts in this game. But mentioned earlier she did get sloppy on defense, which resulted in her tying her season-high in fouls with four. As a role player it is fine to soak up some fouls, but when they become and issue it can be devastating.

This one is less of a critique, but rather something we don't want to see. Against Purdue, she shot three shots from beyond the arc and missed all three of them. While three-pointers are not fundamental to her game, we did not see her take one against Northwestern.

Dec 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Sienna Betts (16) drives past Long Beach State Beach guard Jaquoia Jones-Brown (30), guard Khylee Pepe (13) and forward Kennan Ka (5) for a basket during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

While there were not many openings for her to take these shots. It was a little disappointing to see her back down from this. UCLA had a massive lead, so her taking these threes, even if they missed, would not have hurt. If she can add a three-point shot to her game, UCLA will be in a good spot.

Dec 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Sienna Betts (16) is congratulated at the bench by center Lauren Betts (51) during the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Moving forward, it would be nice to see Betts expand on her shooting. While UCLA does have shooters all over the court, one more does not hurt. Overall, this was a very good game for Betts, and from a development standpoint, she is doing well.

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