University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Photo by: Caren Nicdao
Lauren Betts Named to Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List
January 27, 2026 | Women's Basketball
ATLANTA โ UCLA Senior Lauren Betts has been named to the 2026 Naismith Women's College Defensive Player of the Year Presented by MOLECULE Watch List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Tuesday.
ย
Betts headlines the midseason watch list that includes 25 women's college basketball players. The Centennial, Colo., native averages 2.3 blocks and 1.2 steals per game in 2025-26; she brings down a team-high 8.3 rebounds per game for the 19-1 Bruins.
ย
The Bruin center is the reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year; in 2024-25, Betts surpassed Monique Billings for the single-season program record when she had six blocks against No. 25 Illinois and brought her then-season total to 67 (previous: 66 blocks in 2016-17, 34 GP). The center also set the UCLA single-game blocks record with nine against No. 25 Baylor on Monday, Jan. 20, at the Coretta Scott King Classic. Betts recorded a new NCAA tournament single-game career-best with six against No. 3-seed LSU on March 30; she had five or more blocks in a single game six times last season.
ย
2026 Naismith Women's College Defensive Player of the Year Presented by MOLECULE Watch List
KK Arnold โ UConn
Raegan Beers โ Oklahoma
Lauren Betts โ UCLA
Mikayla Blakesย ย โ Vanderbilt
Madison Booker โ Texas
Kennedy Cambridge โ Ohio State
Talaysia Cooper โ Tennessee
Julia Dalan โ Portland
Jazzy Davidson โ USC
Joyce Edwards โ South Carolina
Toby Fournier โ Duke
Madison Francis โ Mississippi State
MiLaysia Fulwiley โ LSU
Rori Harmon โ Texas
Jordan Harrison โ West Virginia
Hannah Hidalgo โ Notre Dame
Uche Izoje โ Syracuse
Raven Johnson โ South Carolina
Rashunda Jones โ Michigan State
Latasha Lattimore โ Ole Miss
Indya Nivar โ North Carolina
Khamil Pierre โ NC State
Ny'Ceara Pryor โ Texas A&M
Clara Strack โ Kentucky
Sarah Strong โ UConn
ย
ย
Betts headlines the midseason watch list that includes 25 women's college basketball players. The Centennial, Colo., native averages 2.3 blocks and 1.2 steals per game in 2025-26; she brings down a team-high 8.3 rebounds per game for the 19-1 Bruins.
ย
The Bruin center is the reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year; in 2024-25, Betts surpassed Monique Billings for the single-season program record when she had six blocks against No. 25 Illinois and brought her then-season total to 67 (previous: 66 blocks in 2016-17, 34 GP). The center also set the UCLA single-game blocks record with nine against No. 25 Baylor on Monday, Jan. 20, at the Coretta Scott King Classic. Betts recorded a new NCAA tournament single-game career-best with six against No. 3-seed LSU on March 30; she had five or more blocks in a single game six times last season.
ย
2026 Naismith Women's College Defensive Player of the Year Presented by MOLECULE Watch List
KK Arnold โ UConn
Raegan Beers โ Oklahoma
Lauren Betts โ UCLA
Mikayla Blakesย ย โ Vanderbilt
Madison Booker โ Texas
Kennedy Cambridge โ Ohio State
Talaysia Cooper โ Tennessee
Julia Dalan โ Portland
Jazzy Davidson โ USC
Joyce Edwards โ South Carolina
Toby Fournier โ Duke
Madison Francis โ Mississippi State
MiLaysia Fulwiley โ LSU
Rori Harmon โ Texas
Jordan Harrison โ West Virginia
Hannah Hidalgo โ Notre Dame
Uche Izoje โ Syracuse
Raven Johnson โ South Carolina
Rashunda Jones โ Michigan State
Latasha Lattimore โ Ole Miss
Indya Nivar โ North Carolina
Khamil Pierre โ NC State
Ny'Ceara Pryor โ Texas A&M
Clara Strack โ Kentucky
Sarah Strong โ UConn
ย
Players Mentioned
C
/ Women's BasketballUCLA W. Basketball Postgame - vs. Wisconsin (Feb. 22, 2026)
Sunday, February 22
UCLA W. Basketball Highlights - vs. Washington (Feb. 19, 2026)
Thursday, February 19
UCLA W. Basketball Postgame - vs. Washington (Feb. 19, 2026)
Thursday, February 19
Bruin Insider Show - Lauren Betts (Feb. 18, 2026)
Wednesday, February 18