Photo by: Jenny Xu
Lauren Betts Makes John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 List
January 07, 2025 | Women's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – Junior Lauren Betts has been named to The Los Angeles Athletic Club's John R. Wooden Award®, presented by Principal, Women's Midseason Top 25 Watch List, the Athletic Club announced Tuesday.
Selected by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list comprises 25 student-athletes who are frontrunners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball: the Wooden Award All-American Team™ and the Wooden Award® Most Outstanding Player. UCLA's junior center was included in the preseason top 50 list alongside junior Kiki Rice and graduate student Charlisse Leger-Walker.
The center currently leads UCLA Women's Basketball (15-0, 4-0 B1G) in points (19.8), rebounds (10.0) and blocks (2.2) per game while shooting a team-leading field goal percentage (.615, 112-182 FG – 4th, B1G). She also averages 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game; Betts has set new single-game career highs in points (31 vs. Colgate), assists (5 vs. No. 17 Louisville, vs. No. 24 Michigan) and field goals made (15 vs. Colgate). The junior is approaching 1,000-career points and collected her 500th-career rebound against No. 24 Michigan.
At the midpoint of the 2024-25 season, Betts already has totaled more assists (32) and steals (14) than her entire sophomore season (29 assists, 13 steals). She has nine double-doubles in 13 appearances during her junior campaign.
Betts recently caught the attention of three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson with her 25-point, 12-rebound double-double at Indiana; the center had two blocks and a steal as No. 1 UCLA improved to 15-0.
John R. Wooden Award® Women's Midseason Top 25 List (Alphabetical)
Georgia Amoore | Kentucky
Raegan Beers | Oklahoma
Lauren Betts | UCLA
Madison Booker | Texas
Paige Bueckers | UConn
Audi Crooks | Iowa State
Yvonne Ejim | Gonzaga
Hannah Hidalgo | Notre Dame
Kiki Iriafen | USC
Aziaha James | NC State
Flau'jae Johnson | LSU
Ta'Niya Latson | Florida State
Ayoka Lee | Kansas State
Cotie McMahon | Ohio State
Olivia Miles | Notre Dame
Aneesah Morrow | LSU
Lucy Olsen | Iowa
Te-Hina Paopao | South Carolina
Khamil Pierre | Vanderbilt
Sedona Prince | TCU
JJ Quinerly | West Virginia
Sarah Strong | UConn
Harmoni Turner | Harvard
Hailey Van Lith | TCU
JuJu Watkins | USC
About the John R. Wooden Award®
Created in 1976, the Los Angeles Athletic Club John R. Wooden Award Program™ represents the pinnacle of honors in college basketball. It recognizes the Wooden Award® Most Outstanding Player for both men and women, the Wooden Award All-America™ Teams for both men and women, and annually selects the Wooden Award® Legend of Coaching recipient.
Wooden Award® All-Americans have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the standards of the John R. Wooden Award®, as set forth by Coach Wooden and the Wooden Award® Steering Committee. These qualifications include progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
Previous recipients include legends such as Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), Kevin Durant ('07), Candace Parker ('07, '08), Maya Moore ('09, '11), Breanna Stewart ('15, '16), and the most recent winners, Caitlin Clark of Iowa ('23, '24) and Zach Edey of Purdue ('23, '24).
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award® has contributed nearly one million dollars in charitable gifts in the names of its All-American recipients and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps. Wooden Award All-Americans are invited to celebrate their personal charitable efforts, for which the John R. Wooden Award Foundation will make charitable gifts in support of the character of the student. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award® partners annually with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) to host the Wooden Award® Special Olympics Basketball Day. This event unites Special Olympics athletes with Wooden Award® All-Americans and coaches during Wooden Award® Weekend at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
The 2025 Wooden Award® Legends of Coaching honoree is Mark Few of Gonzaga, who will receive his award alongside the 2025 Wooden Award® Men's and Women's Players of the Year on April 11, 2025.
For the latest updates, visit www.WoodenAward.com and follow the Wooden Award® on Facebook at www.facebook.com/woodenaward, and on Twitter and Instagram at @WoodenAward. For more information about Principal Financial Group and its sponsorship activities, visit their Sports Partnerships and Sponsorships page. To learn more about the Los Angeles Athletic Club, visit www.LAAC.com
Selected by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list comprises 25 student-athletes who are frontrunners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball: the Wooden Award All-American Team™ and the Wooden Award® Most Outstanding Player. UCLA's junior center was included in the preseason top 50 list alongside junior Kiki Rice and graduate student Charlisse Leger-Walker.
The center currently leads UCLA Women's Basketball (15-0, 4-0 B1G) in points (19.8), rebounds (10.0) and blocks (2.2) per game while shooting a team-leading field goal percentage (.615, 112-182 FG – 4th, B1G). She also averages 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game; Betts has set new single-game career highs in points (31 vs. Colgate), assists (5 vs. No. 17 Louisville, vs. No. 24 Michigan) and field goals made (15 vs. Colgate). The junior is approaching 1,000-career points and collected her 500th-career rebound against No. 24 Michigan.
At the midpoint of the 2024-25 season, Betts already has totaled more assists (32) and steals (14) than her entire sophomore season (29 assists, 13 steals). She has nine double-doubles in 13 appearances during her junior campaign.
Betts recently caught the attention of three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson with her 25-point, 12-rebound double-double at Indiana; the center had two blocks and a steal as No. 1 UCLA improved to 15-0.
Lauren Betts caught the M'V3's attention the way she's been hoopin' ??
— espnW (@espnW) January 7, 2025
A'ja Wilson showed the UCLA star some love after her big game vs. Indiana ?? pic.twitter.com/aIpoekgUqN
John R. Wooden Award® Women's Midseason Top 25 List (Alphabetical)
Georgia Amoore | Kentucky
Raegan Beers | Oklahoma
Lauren Betts | UCLA
Madison Booker | Texas
Paige Bueckers | UConn
Audi Crooks | Iowa State
Yvonne Ejim | Gonzaga
Hannah Hidalgo | Notre Dame
Kiki Iriafen | USC
Aziaha James | NC State
Flau'jae Johnson | LSU
Ta'Niya Latson | Florida State
Ayoka Lee | Kansas State
Cotie McMahon | Ohio State
Olivia Miles | Notre Dame
Aneesah Morrow | LSU
Lucy Olsen | Iowa
Te-Hina Paopao | South Carolina
Khamil Pierre | Vanderbilt
Sedona Prince | TCU
JJ Quinerly | West Virginia
Sarah Strong | UConn
Harmoni Turner | Harvard
Hailey Van Lith | TCU
JuJu Watkins | USC
About the John R. Wooden Award®
Created in 1976, the Los Angeles Athletic Club John R. Wooden Award Program™ represents the pinnacle of honors in college basketball. It recognizes the Wooden Award® Most Outstanding Player for both men and women, the Wooden Award All-America™ Teams for both men and women, and annually selects the Wooden Award® Legend of Coaching recipient.
Wooden Award® All-Americans have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the standards of the John R. Wooden Award®, as set forth by Coach Wooden and the Wooden Award® Steering Committee. These qualifications include progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
Previous recipients include legends such as Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), Kevin Durant ('07), Candace Parker ('07, '08), Maya Moore ('09, '11), Breanna Stewart ('15, '16), and the most recent winners, Caitlin Clark of Iowa ('23, '24) and Zach Edey of Purdue ('23, '24).
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award® has contributed nearly one million dollars in charitable gifts in the names of its All-American recipients and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps. Wooden Award All-Americans are invited to celebrate their personal charitable efforts, for which the John R. Wooden Award Foundation will make charitable gifts in support of the character of the student. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award® partners annually with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) to host the Wooden Award® Special Olympics Basketball Day. This event unites Special Olympics athletes with Wooden Award® All-Americans and coaches during Wooden Award® Weekend at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
The 2025 Wooden Award® Legends of Coaching honoree is Mark Few of Gonzaga, who will receive his award alongside the 2025 Wooden Award® Men's and Women's Players of the Year on April 11, 2025.
For the latest updates, visit www.WoodenAward.com and follow the Wooden Award® on Facebook at www.facebook.com/woodenaward, and on Twitter and Instagram at @WoodenAward. For more information about Principal Financial Group and its sponsorship activities, visit their Sports Partnerships and Sponsorships page. To learn more about the Los Angeles Athletic Club, visit www.LAAC.com
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