Lauren Betts makes her feelings known on reaching 1,000 career points in less than 2 years at UCLA

UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts notched a new career high in points in a game while reaching the 1,000 career points mark on Sunday. The junior's exhilarating performance against the Maryland Terrapins brought the Cori Close-coached squad to a 15-point 82-67 victory to keep its now 21-0 overall record unblemished, along with a Big Ten standing of 9-0.

Betts scored 33 big markers on a highly efficient 93.3% shooting clip, going 14-of-15 from the field in 35 minutes, as she could not miss throughout the game. The third-year stalwart also contributed seven rebounds, four assists, a steal and four blocks.

Betts is one of the premier players today in women's college basketball, especially as the focal point of the nation's No. 1-ranked program. During the postgame presser, the 21-year-old shared her thoughts on reaching 1,000 markers in her career in less than two years at UCLA after her 33-point outburst on Sunday.

"It's kind of crazy, but again, I couldn't do it without my teammates and my coaches," Betts said (6:15). "I think my coaches just do a really great job of putting me in the best positions to do what I need to do, and honestly, the points will come, but I think that it just kind of goes with the flow of the game.

"I don't really try to force anything. I just think I try to do what the team needs me to do. So, (I'm) just really thankful for the people I'm surrounded by every single day."

Betts did not mince words when it came to crediting her support system with accomplishing the feat. After all, she is leading the Bruins in scoring, rebounding and blocking in the 2024-2025 season, and if she keeps her pace up, she may bag the National Player of the Year award.

Lauren Betts details that it was defense and guard play that brought her to 33 points

Lauren Betts could not be stopped by the Maryland Terrapins defense on Sunday, but she said it was all due to her teammates finding her in the right spots and the UCLA Bruins defense allowing for easy baskets. During the press conference, the 6-foot-7 sensation detailed how exactly she clinched a new career-high in points in a game.

"I just let the game kind of happen to me a little bit," Betts said (2:18). "I thought my guards, Kiki (Rice), did a great job today of just finding me in transition. But, I think it started with our defense. Once we started getting stops and we just locked in on that, I think it just created easier touches for me in transition.

"So, I just have to shout out my teammates for creating those opportunities for me, but I think it just started on the defensive end."

Still undefeated in both conference play and overall, the UCLA Bruins will now match up against the No. 23-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers on Sunday on the road, with Betts hoping to pad on more points and team success.