University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Lauren Betts
Photo by: Caren Nicdao
Lauren Betts Named Honda Sport Award Winner for Basketball
April 28, 2026 | Women's Basketball
NEW YORK – Lauren Betts has been named the Honda Sport Award winner for Basketball for the Class of 2026, as announced today by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA).
The Bruin center is now a finalist for the prestigious Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and Class of 2026 Honda Cup, to be presented live on Monday, July 27, at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
"We're just really proud of Lauren," said The Michael Price Family UCLA Women's Head Basketball Coach Cori Close. "To be the second person in UCLA history to receive this award, to join Annie Meyers Drysdale, is so special and a pretty big deal. Lauren is such an amazing young woman and has earned so much, on and off the court."
For five decades, the Honda Sport Award has honored the nation's top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports, symbolizing "the best of the best in collegiate athletics." Honda Sport Award celebrates its 50th anniversary during the 2025-26 collegiate athletics season.
UCLA holds the record for most Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year (Honda Cup) awards with six; Betts becomes the 37th student-athlete from UCLA to win a Honda Sport Award. Lauren Betts is the first Bruin to win the women's basketball award since Ann Meyers in 1978.
The senior center from Centennial, Colorado, delivered one of the most dominant seasons in UCLA Bruins women's basketball history, leading the program to its first NCAA Championship title. Anchoring the Bruins on both ends of the floor, Betts recorded 14 points and 11 rebounds in the national title game and was named the 2026 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
Betts became the third player in NCAA history to total 600+ points, 300+ rebounds, 100+ assists and 75+ blocks in a single season (2025-26), joining UConn's Breanna Stewart (3x) and Cheryl Miller (2x).
The Bruin center was named the 2026 Big Ten Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in conference history to claim both honors in the same season. A finalist for the 2026 Wade Trophy, Naismith Trophy, and Wooden Award, Betts earned WBCA First Team All-America honors for the second time in her career while continuing to redefine excellence at her position. A two-time Lisa Leslie Center of the Year and three-time All-Conference First Team selection, Betts consistently set the standard for dominance in the paint.
She also became UCLA's all-time leading shot blocker after just three seasons in Westwood, surpassing Monique Billings (2014-18) in the Bruin record books.
The Bruin center is now a finalist for the prestigious Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and Class of 2026 Honda Cup, to be presented live on Monday, July 27, at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
"We're just really proud of Lauren," said The Michael Price Family UCLA Women's Head Basketball Coach Cori Close. "To be the second person in UCLA history to receive this award, to join Annie Meyers Drysdale, is so special and a pretty big deal. Lauren is such an amazing young woman and has earned so much, on and off the court."
For five decades, the Honda Sport Award has honored the nation's top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports, symbolizing "the best of the best in collegiate athletics." Honda Sport Award celebrates its 50th anniversary during the 2025-26 collegiate athletics season.
UCLA holds the record for most Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year (Honda Cup) awards with six; Betts becomes the 37th student-athlete from UCLA to win a Honda Sport Award. Lauren Betts is the first Bruin to win the women's basketball award since Ann Meyers in 1978.
The senior center from Centennial, Colorado, delivered one of the most dominant seasons in UCLA Bruins women's basketball history, leading the program to its first NCAA Championship title. Anchoring the Bruins on both ends of the floor, Betts recorded 14 points and 11 rebounds in the national title game and was named the 2026 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
Betts became the third player in NCAA history to total 600+ points, 300+ rebounds, 100+ assists and 75+ blocks in a single season (2025-26), joining UConn's Breanna Stewart (3x) and Cheryl Miller (2x).
The Bruin center was named the 2026 Big Ten Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in conference history to claim both honors in the same season. A finalist for the 2026 Wade Trophy, Naismith Trophy, and Wooden Award, Betts earned WBCA First Team All-America honors for the second time in her career while continuing to redefine excellence at her position. A two-time Lisa Leslie Center of the Year and three-time All-Conference First Team selection, Betts consistently set the standard for dominance in the paint.
She also became UCLA's all-time leading shot blocker after just three seasons in Westwood, surpassing Monique Billings (2014-18) in the Bruin record books.
Players Mentioned
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