Lauren Betts shares heartwarming moment with teammates following thrilling win vs. LSU

UCLA star Lauren Betts led the No. 1-seeded Bruins to their first Final Four in program history after a 72-65 win over the No. 3 seed LSU Tigers on Sunday. Betts tallied 17 points, seven rebounds and one assist in 25 minutes of action.

Betts was in foul trouble in the second quarter and was benched for a few minutes, but her teammates held on to the lead despite LSU's Flau'jae Johnson attempting to spark a comeback. Betts checked back into the game and helped her team close out the win.

During her postgame news conference, the talented forward credited her team for holding out even when she was not on the floor, causing her teammates to cheer her speech.

“I have full confidence in them,” Lauren Betts said. “Obviously I’m more mad at myself that I had two fouls. But this is what we’re talking about when we say we have a deep team. I don’t have to be in the game at all times. I have a team full of players that are just amazing and talented in their own right.

"I mean, it's the confidence that my team have in me and the coaches, they believe in me no matter what. Hey, shout-out to my teammates for holding it down when I was out. They did a really good job, I'm proud. This is a team effort. This isn't about any individual. We did this together, this is UCLA basketball."

Kim Mulkey dismisses Lauren Betts' impact on Tigers' loss

During her postgame news conference, LSU coach Kim Mulkey dismissed the effect of Lauren Betts on the result when she was benched for foul trouble in the fiery game. Instead, Mulkey blamed her team for not taking advantage of her absence.

“Betts did not beat us,” Mulkey said. “We guarded her as tough as we could. We did not take advantage of her being off the floor in the second quarter, and we allowed perimeter 3s and other people to step up.”

Betts has been one of the best players at the 2025 NCAA Tournament, scoring 31 points against the Ole Miss Rebels in the previous round and 30 points against the Richmond Spiders in the round before that. She has averaged 20.0 points on 64.9% shooting from the floor, 9.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists for the Bruins this season.

The last time UCLA won the national championship was in 1978, before the NCAA took over administration of the women's game. Lauren Betts is spearheading the Bruins' push for their first national title in a generation.