University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
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Lauren Betts Named to Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List
January 27, 2026 | Women's Basketball
ATLANTA – 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.
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.
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.
2026 Naismith Women's College Defensive Player of the Year Presented by MOLECULE Watch List
KK Arnold – UConn
Raegan Beers – Oklahoma
Lauren Betts – UCLA
Mikayla Blakes – Vanderbilt
Madison Booker – Texas
Kennedy Cambridge – Ohio State
Talaysia Cooper – Tennessee
Julia Dalan – Portland
Jazzy Davidson – USC
Joyce Edwards – South Carolina
Toby Fournier – Duke
Madison Francis – Mississippi State
MiLaysia Fulwiley – LSU
Rori Harmon – Texas
Jordan Harrison – West Virginia
Hannah Hidalgo – Notre Dame
Uche Izoje – Syracuse
Raven Johnson – South Carolina
Rashunda Jones – Michigan State
Latasha Lattimore – Ole Miss
Indya Nivar – North Carolina
Khamil Pierre – NC State
Ny'Ceara Pryor – Texas A&M
Clara Strack – Kentucky
Sarah Strong – UConn
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.
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.
2026 Naismith Women's College Defensive Player of the Year Presented by MOLECULE Watch List
KK Arnold – UConn
Raegan Beers – Oklahoma
Lauren Betts – UCLA
Mikayla Blakes – Vanderbilt
Madison Booker – Texas
Kennedy Cambridge – Ohio State
Talaysia Cooper – Tennessee
Julia Dalan – Portland
Jazzy Davidson – USC
Joyce Edwards – South Carolina
Toby Fournier – Duke
Madison Francis – Mississippi State
MiLaysia Fulwiley – LSU
Rori Harmon – Texas
Jordan Harrison – West Virginia
Hannah Hidalgo – Notre Dame
Uche Izoje – Syracuse
Raven Johnson – South Carolina
Rashunda Jones – Michigan State
Latasha Lattimore – Ole Miss
Indya Nivar – North Carolina
Khamil Pierre – NC State
Ny'Ceara Pryor – Texas A&M
Clara Strack – Kentucky
Sarah Strong – UConn
Players Mentioned
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