TAMPA, Fla. – Junior Lauren Betts has been named the 2025 Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year presented by MOLECULE, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Wednesday.
The 6-foot-7 center anchored No. 1 UCLA’s defense, providing unmatched rim protection and impressive mobility to guard outside of the post. Betts will be the eventual season blocks leader in the Bruins’ new conference, amassing 99 rejections through 33 games played. She was named unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Defensive Team when the postseason conference awards were announced March 4.
“Defense is something I’ve always taken a lot of pride in,” said the Centennial, Colo., native. “Going into every single game, that’s honestly my biggest priority – how can I stop the person in front of me? But to even be up for an award like this is really meaningful to me, it’s truly appreciated.”
Through UCLA’s Elite Eight win, Betts averages 20.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. The center is just shy of a steal per game, collecting 0.9 steals per game as she interrupts and intercepts passing lanes. Betts has surpassed 600 points and 300 rebounds in her junior campaign, becoming just the second Bruin to achieve those numbers (Denise Curry, 3x, 1978-81).
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’s had five or more blocks in a single game six times this season.
She’s the frontrunner for the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year award; the Naismith Starting 5 awards will be announced prior to Sunday’s national championship bout. Betts was named Associated Press First Team All-America on March 19.