Lauren Betts started her senior year at UCLA as one of the best college centers in recent memory. The 6’7″ All-American was so good in her junior year that WNBA scouts were circling her name as a possible top pick. But after three months of the 2025-26 season, the story has changed a lot.

Sabreena Merchant, on the podcast No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show, talked about what caused this drop in stats.

“I think the larger question with Lauren Betts is just that her numbers haven’t looked as good as they did last season. Part of that is just how defenses are playing UCLA this year. There is a real committed effort to make them do something other than get the ball to Lauren every single time,” Merchant explained.

This assessment is important when looking at the situation around Betts’ performance. The 22-year-old had a great junior year, averaging 20.2 points and 9.5 rebounds and winning the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award unanimously. However, her numbers have dropped significantly since then. The UCLA center now averages 13.3 points and 7.0 rebounds, which is a big drop that has made analysts and insiders rethink her position before the 2026 WNBA Draft.

Merchant said that teams are now making a lot of effort to stop UCLA from just giving Betts the ball in the post. UCLA’s strategy has worked in the past because they added perimeter weapons like Gabriela Jaquez, who scored 29 points against Tennessee while shooting over 80% from three, and Charlisse Leger-Walker, who is back from an ACL tear.

Betts’ ability to play different positions means that she doesn’t have to control every possession anymore. This directly affects her box score production, even though her presence creates chances for her teammates.

Coach Cori Close’s recent comments show how important Betts still is, even though she has had a few issues.

“It wasn’t the news I wanted. We were trying to test some things to see if we could go even up to shoot around, and our medical staff was just saying it’s not wise. Lauren obviously affects a lot of plays, and on both sides of the ball,” Close stated.

The coaching staff is being careful because they know that even managing Betts’ minutes and recovery is very important to UCLA’s performance. Betts is averaging 3.5 assists while shooting 57.9% from the field, which is tied for 32nd this season. These numbers are still good, but they aren’t quite elite.

Lauren Betts and UCLA’s stacked roster reshape the 2026 draft

The Dallas Wings just won the draft lottery. And even with everything that’s happened, Betts is still in the lead. In the mock drafts, she is always at the top, and even in the worst case, she is in the top four. Scouts look past the recent numbers because they know what she brings to the table: size, defense, and playmaking skills that few centers have at any level.

Kiki Rice has made herself a lottery lock. She scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds against Tennessee, showing that she can be the best when the pressure is on. Gianna Kneepkens came from Utah and quickly became UCLA’s best shooter. She hit almost half of her three-pointers and averaged more than ten points per game.

The talent keeps coming in. Leger-Walker came back from her ACL tear and brought lockdown defense with her. Jaquez keeps having big scoring nights. When Betts needs a break, Dugalić takes over in the paint. Hence, when draft night comes, UCLA could really break records.