REPORT: Bruins Star Regarded as Candidate to Win Player of the Year

The No. 1 UCLA Bruins (16-0) have been the best team in the country through the first few months of the season, and a big reason for that has been the play of junior star center Lauren Betts. In a recent report, she is amongst the top five players in the country to win a monumental award.

Sports Illustrated's Robin Lundberg revealed her top five early power rankings for the Women's College Basketball Player of the Year candidates, and Betts was ranked third.

Betts has been nothing short of sensational this season for the Bruins, nearly averaging a double-double with 19.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. She has been the leading scorer for the Bruins in nine of their 16 contests this year and has been an absolute game-changer for this team.

The two women that have beaten out Betts in Lundberg's early power rankings are No. 4 USC Trojans sophomore guard JuJu Watkins and No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo, two of the top scorers in the nation.

Watkins ranks third in the country in points per game at 24.9 while Hidalgo is second with 25.9 points per game. The highest leading scorer in the country is Ta'Niya Latson of Florida State, posting 27.9 points per game. She is currently ranked fifth in the Sports Illustrated early power rankings.

UConn senior guard Paige Bueckers is a former winner of this illustrious award. She averaged 20 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.9 rebounds when she took the award back in 2021 in her freshman season.

If the Bruins can continue their incredible winning streak, earn a Big Ten regular season title, and make a deep playoff run in the NCAA Tournament, there is no reason why Betts should not bring home the award for National Player of the Year.

Betts may not be leading the country in any notable categories, but her impact on winning may be the highest of any player on this list. The junior star is shooting just over 61% from the field and has scored 20 or more in seven different games this season. She is a true difference-maker for this team.

There is still a lot of season left to be played and these early power rankings could shake out much differently than what they show at this moment. Hidalgo and Watkins will be tough players to beat out for the award, but Betts has as good of a chance as anyone on the No. 1 team in the country.

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