Betts Leads With Trust as Bruins Punch Final Four Ticket

When junior center Lauren Betts passed out of a double team and saw junior guard Gabriela Jaquez drill a dagger 3-pointer with under 90 seconds to play, she didn’t celebrate like someone who had just made a big play.

She celebrated like someone who had watched her sister rise to the moment.

“I was just so happy for her,” Betts said, beaming. “I mean, just pure joy.”

It was the kind of moment that defined UCLA’s 72-65 win over LSU in Sunday’s Elite Eight: selfless, composed, and deeply connected. And Betts, who has anchored the Bruins all season, embodied all of it, even when she wasn’t on the floor.

Betts picked up her second foul late in the first quarter and spent most of the second on the bench. But instead of frustration, she chose trust.

“I have full confidence in them,” Betts said of her teammates. “Obviously, I’m more mad at myself that I had the two fouls. But this is what we’re talking about when we have a deep team. I don’t have to be in the game at all times.”

UCLA responded with a 12-2 run to take control, and Betts became the Bruins’ biggest cheerleader from the sideline.

“I knew that as I was sitting there, I’m going to be the best teammate that I can and cheer them on,” she said. “But they have my back at the end of the day.”

Betts finished the game with 17 points, seven rebounds and six blocks, helping the Bruins withstand every push from a fierce Tiger squad.

“There were lots of things we could have gotten down about this game,” Betts said. “But I think we were just all mentally prepared. We've toughened up since midseason. We’ve learned a lot.”

That toughness was no accident. In the days leading up to the game, Betts said Coach Cori Close and Assistant Coach Tasha Brown kept drilling the same message: This will be a battle.

“Coach Cori continued to say that to us every single day,” Betts said. “And Coach T especially, just holding us accountable in the film room, making sure we take off all the pressure that’s on us and just focus on what we need to do today.”

What they needed to do was win the toughness battle. Against LSU’s physical style and relentless pace, UCLA didn’t flinch. They stayed the course, stayed together, and won.

“I’m just so proud of everyone and the way they showed up,” Betts said.

On a night when the Bruins made history, Betts didn’t chase the spotlight. She passed it to a teammate. And that, more than anything, is what makes this team dangerous in the Final Four.

Because when one of the nation’s top centers leads with humility and trust, everyone else follows.

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