High School

Sienna Betts is Morgan Wootten National Girls High School Basketball Player of the Year

Grandview (Aurora, Colo.) standout wins prestigious honor two days before McDonald's All-American game, same day as her future school makes historic entrance to Final Four

Mitch Stephens, Myckena Guerrero

Grandview (Aurora, Colo) senior Sienna Betts girls basketball player and McDonald's All-American.
Grandview (Aurora, Colo) senior Sienna Betts girls basketball player and McDonald's All-American. / Photo courtesy USA Basketball

What a great day it was for Grandview (Aurora, Colo.) senior girls basketball standout Sienna Betts.

The 6-foot-4 post was named the Morgan Wootten National Girls High School Basketball Player of the Year on Sunday, two days before the McDonald's All-American Games in Brooklyn (N.Y.).

Betts is the No. 2 ranked senior in the nation according to ESPN after she averaged 23.0 points, 16.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 60% from the floor. Her Grandview (Aurora) Wolves finished 25-3 and won a Colorado 6A state title.

While her accomplishments on the court are well known by those who have followed her prestigious basketball career, what really set her apart from other finalists were off-the-court actions. They included:

  • Every other week during the season, Sienna and her team works with a Special Olympics basketball team, creating an inclusive positive environment for athletes of all abilities.
  • She tutors students in math, offering academic support and assisting with executive functioning skills for those in need.
  • Additionally, she has volunteered at youth basketball camps, served meals with her team at the Ronald McDonald House and helped elderly individuals with tasks around their homes 

    • The same day Betts won the award, he future school UCLA earned its first entrance to the NCAA Final 4 with a 72-65 win over LSU in Spokane, Wash. Betts' sister Lauren, a 6-7 junior, fought off foul trouble and finished with 17 points and seven rebounds.

    Morgan Wootten, 88, is the chairman of the McDonald's All-American Games Selection Committee. The award recognizes players who embody both on- and off-court accomplishments.

    Among previous winners for the award, which has been presented since 2002, were Paige Bueckers (2020), Breanna Stewart (2012), Chiney Ogwumike (2010), Maya Moore (2007) and Candace Parker (2004).

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    Published |Modified
    Mitch Stephens
    MITCH STEPHENS

    Mitch Stephens is a senior editor at SBLive Sports for California, a state he's covered high school sports since 1984. He won multiple CNPA and CPSWA writing awards with the Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Chronicle and MaxPreps.com before joining the SBLive staff in 2022. He's covered the beat nationally since 2007, profiling such athletes as Derrick Henry, Paige Bueckers, Patrick Mahomes, Sabrina Ionescu, Jayson Tatum, Chiney Ogwumike, Jeremy Lin and Najee Harris as preps. You can reach him at mitch@scorebooklive.com.

    Myckena Guerrero, SBLive Sports
    MYCKENA GUERRERO

    For the past eight years Myckena Guerrero has been working with great, talented individuals in the sports industry and beyond. Her goal is to show the world the authentic stories behind the helmets of their favorite athletes. Myckena graduated from California State University of Sacramento with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. She has been honored to interview athletes from all levels and walks of life including Steph Curry, Jerome Bettis, Canelo Alvarez, Larry Fitzgerald, Bryce Young, DJ Uiagalelei Trevor Lawrence, Allyson Felix, and Abby Wombach.

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