Star Freshman to Officially Miss UCLA Season Opener

The Bruins' No. 2-ranked newcomer may miss some time to start the season.

Mar 23, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close during the fourth quarter of an NCAA Tournament second round game against the Richmond Spiders at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The third-ranked UCLA Bruins women's basketball squad is prepping to open an anticipatory season on Monday against San Diego State, but will be without one of its biggest additions of the offseason.

Star freshman Sienna Betts, younger sister to Lauren Betts, will miss Monday's contest against the Aztecs with due to a tweaked leg she suffered in a closed scrimmage in October, the team announced Friday.

Betts has since been recovering, and during Wednesday's media availability, coach Cori Close confirmed her status and detailed her recovery.

Sienna Betts to miss season opener against SDSU on Monday, more here ⤵️

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"Sienna is going to be a no-go for our opener," Close said. "She's coming along great, she's doing a great job, but we're going to rule her out for Monday. We're excited to get her back and get her in the mix."

Sienna Betts' Timeline

Following a practice last week, Close initially revealed Betts suffered an injury and explained if there was a timeline.

"No, we don't know yet," Close said. "We're waiting on results from the tweak she had in the scrimmage, so we'll know more later."

Despite the time missed ahead of Betts' debut season in Westwood, Close sees this as an opportunity for the budding freshman the learn, which Close praised her for.

"She's one of the most amazing learners I have coached in my 33 years," Close said of Betts. "Her knowledge of the game, her ability to see things then put it into practice. I think actually, there's going to be a silver lining of this little 'return-to-play' time for her, that she's going to be able to really focus on some work in her shooting pocket. It's really ahrd to fix in the middle of the season.

Apr 4, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close reacts during first quarter in a semifinal of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament against the Connecticut Huskies at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

"She's going to work, get a lot of work with her right hand. And I just think sometimes adversity like this can sometimes force you into skill development in a way that maybe you wouldn't have attacked the same way if you didn't have this time, and a lot of that credit goes to Sienna. She's really smart, her basketball IQ is off the charts, and so I'm excited to see what comes out of this time."

The Bruins open the season on Monday against San Diego State in the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, at 7:00 p.m. PT on B1G+.

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