Betts Takes Over as Bruins Take the Title

No. 1 UCLA women's basketball relied on its most valuable player to deliver when it mattered most.

Junior center Lauren Betts led the Bruins to a 72-67 victory over top-seeded No. 4 USC in the Big Ten Tournament Championship, ultimately securing the program’s first conference title since 2006.

Betts’s presence was felt on both sides of the court. She finished with 17 points, five rebounds, four steals, four blocks, and two assists. She also recorded her 1,000th career point as a Bruin.

Despite playing an impeccable game, she was left speechless at her team’s performance and their ability to fight when it mattered most.

“I'm kind of speechless right now. I'm not going to lie,” Betts said postgame. “I mean, that's it. That's really it. Just speechless.”

Betts ignited the Bruins' offense in the second half, not missing a single shot in the third quarter while scoring 9 points.

“I think just taking advantage of my matchup and honestly doing whatever the team needed me to do in that moment,” Betts said. “I was just trying my best to get deep seals and put myself in the best position to score. I knew that I wasn't going to get calls, but I just had to keep being aggressive.”

Betts' teammate, junior guard Kiki Rice, gave her a halftime pep talk that helped her remain locked in.

“Kiki spoke to me in the locker room as well, just reminding me that I'm not going to get calls, but I just have to keep playing hard,” Betts said. “And the outcome will speak for itself.”

Betts, as always, was quick to deflect personal accolades and instead focused on how this win helps and propels her team forward.

“It's great, but to be honest, they don't mean much to me,” Betts said. “What means most is this win that this team had. And I know the amount of work that went into it and this team means everything to me. So yeah, it's great.

"But I think, honestly, the confidence that this team has winning that game going into March Madness is a lot.”

The confidence was visible in UCLA throughout the tournament, proving it belonged up top.

“This is a really talented team. And we knew that we were coming into an amazing conference. We never doubted that,” Betts said.

“But we put in a lot of work all preseason, and we had the confidence that we were going to win this tournament, and no one was going to deny us from that. The work that was done in the dark just showed today.”

Betts' contributions extended beyond her offense. In the final quarter, she helped hold USC without a field goal for nearly nine minutes.

“I think it was just making myself a little bit uncomfortable,” Betts said of her defensive approach. “Obviously, playing on the perimeter is something that a lot of 6-7 posts don't like to do. But I think that’s what the team needed from me in that moment.

"When Juju [Watkins] was coming off the screens, just pushing myself to get up higher, to get her into an uncomfortable situation.”

Betts credited her Bruins teammates for their defensive intensity that the Trojans could not break.

“Yes, the blocks were there, but that was every single person coming in with that mindset, ‘We are going to get this stop,’” she said.

UCLA now turns its attention to the NCAA Tournament, where Betts is poised to continue making a difference in their pursuit of an even bigger prize.

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