Washington Mystics rookie Lauren Betts signed a shoe deal with Reebok on Wednesday. The 2026 NCAA champion and No. 4 draft pick becomes the fifth WNBA athlete to join the brand's basketball roster.
Lauren Betts joins Angel Reese, DiJonai Carrington, Aneesah Morrow, and Lexie Brown under the Reebok umbrella. Reese released her signature shoe, The Angel Reese 1, in 2025 after signing with the brand in 2024.
"As the No. 4 pick in this year's WNBA Draft, [Betts] is a dominant interior presence, poised to bring that same impact to the pro game," Reebok wrote in its announcement.
Angel Reese welcomed Lauren Betts to the family on X.
"AHHHH! What's up CHAMP!" the Atlanta Dream forward tweeted.
Reebok relaunched its basketball division in 2024, subsequently making strategic signings in both the men's and women's game as the market continues to boom.
The UCLA center joins a growing list of current WNBA athletes with signature shoes, including Sabrina Ionescu, Caitlin Clark, Breanna Stewart, and A'ja Wilson.
Betts isn't the only rookie signing shoe deals, as Indiana's Raven Johnson partnered with Adidas this week.
"Earned My Stripes. @adidasbasketball - what's good? From The A to the WNBA," Johnson wrote on Instagram.
The partnerships highlight women's basketball's widespread commercial appeal. Top WNBA rookies now command lucrative endorsement deals before playing their first professional game, reflecting the sport's expanded business opportunities.
UCLA made history on Monday night, after a record six Bruins were selected in the 2026 WNBA Draft — including five in the first round.
The unprecedented feat came just eight days after UCLA lifted its first-ever NCAA championship trophy.
Two-time All-American Lauren Betts led the charge, as Washington selected the Final Four Most Outstanding Player No. 4 overall. The Mystics' pick tipped off a run that saw three straight UCLA products selected.
"This season has been so special. I've enjoyed every second,” Betts said afterwards. "I'm playing with my best friends, my sister. I've had the most amazing season, and I feel like you can just see all the positivity that I play with."
Chicago then took forward Gabriela Jaquez at No. 5, before expansion team Toronto Tempo selected guard Kiki Rice at No. 6. Washington later doubled down on UCLA talent, taking forward Angela Dugalić at No. 9.
Connecticut claimed the final two Bruins, selecting guard Gianna Kneepkens at No. 15 to close out the first round, before taking guard Charlisse Leger-Walker in the second.
Betts and Dugalić will reunite on the Mystics' frontcourt, while Kneepkens and Leger-Walker join forces again on the Sun. Jaquez heads to Chicago while Rice starts fresh with expansion side Toronto.
The haul shattered the WNBA's prior Draft Day record. Four teams previously shared the high-mark, with South Carolina (2023), Notre Dame (2019), and Tennessee (1999, 2008) each yielding five simultaneous draftees.
The six seniors anchored UCLA's dominant championship run, combining to score all 130 points across the Bruins' Final Four wins. UCLA beat Texas 51-44 in the national semifinal, before crushing South Carolina 79-51 in the title game.
The historic 2026 WNBA Draft success caps a 37-1 season for UCLA and head coach Cori Close.
UCLA obviously faces a significant rebuild after losing its core to the WNBA. However, the program has plenty to celebrate after a historic season in Westwood.
Basketball’s newest class steps up tonight, as tonight’s WNBA Draft sees teams look to build out their 2026 rosters with both NCAA and international standouts.
Dallas has the No. 1 pick for the second year in a row, followed by Minnesota, Seattle, Washington, and Chicago, before expansion sides Toronto and Portland take their rookie picks.
"The NCAA draft is just gonna be a cherry on a cake for us," Portland Fire general manager Vanja Černivec told reporters in Portland. "Can’t wait to go through that journey with you, our fans and our staff."
Top prospects include both backcourt and frontcourt talent, with UConn star Azzi Fudd, UCLA center Lauren Betts, TCU guard Olivia Miles, and Spanish big Awa Fam leading most mock WNBA drafts.
The draft spans three 15-selection rounds, though not every team has the same amount of picks. However, draft-day swaps are also common, with teams like Chicago already moving capital to open up potential transactions.
Much speculation surrounds Dallas's projected No. 1 selection, after the Wings took UConn superstar Paige Bueckers first in the 2025 WNBA Draft.
"Teams in recent years have been built through the draft, and when they’re built through the draft, other players want to play with great players," Dallas Wings GM Curt Miller said late last year. "Paige is a magnet. People want to play with great players."
How to Watch the 2026 WNBA Draft on ESPN
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will announce tonight's draft live on ESPN, with exclusive coverage starting at 7 PM ET.
Earlier programming includes the WNBA Orange Carpet Special (ESPN2, 5:30 PM ET) and WNBA Countdown Presented by Google (ESPN, 6:30 PM ET), will all coverage also available for streaming via the ESPN App.
The WNBA invited 15 top prospects to attend the 2026 WNBA Draft in New York City, with five NCAA champion UCLA Bruins headlining this year's class.
UCLA center Lauren Betts leads the invitee list, after earning Most Outstanding Player honors in the Bruins' national championship victory. She joins teammates Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Gianna Kneepkens, and Angela Dugalić as the program's draft representatives.
UConn guard Azzi Fudd, TCU guard Olivia Miles, and LSU guard Flau'jae Johnson round out the top college prospects. Spain National Team center Awa Fam and French forward Nell Angloma lead the international talent pool.
South Carolina is sending three players to the 2026 WNBA Draft: guards Raven Johnson and Ta'Niya Latson plus center Madina Okot from Kenya. TCU's Spanish forward Marta Suárez and Ole Miss forward Cotie McMahon complete this year's roster.
Dallas holds the top draft pick following November's lottery, with Minnesota selecting second while Seattle takes third. Washington subsequently picks fourth, with Chicago Sky fifth, and 2026 expansion teams Toronto and Portland choosing sixth and seventh.
Invited players will showcase their fashion on the WNBA's iconic Orange Carpet before heading to the Empire State Building for a lighting ceremony celebrating the 2026 Draft.
The draft-night festivities mark the culmination of stellar college careers for most invitees, with several earning All-America honors and national Player of the Year recognition during the 2025-26 season.
How to Watch the 2026 WNBA Draft
Draft-night coverage tips off on Monday afternoon with the WNBA Orange Carpet Special at 5:30 PM ET on ESPN2.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will then announce the picks starting at 7 PM ET, live on ESPN.
UCLA and Texas are on a mission, looking to avenge last year's Final Four exits in a high-stakes semifinal clash with only one championship ticket up for grabs.
While semifinal losses cut both teams' 2025 March Madness dreams short, UCLA has even more to prove. Texas handed the Bruins their only regular-season defeat last November, dominating 76-65 at the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas.
The Longhorns' physical backcourt forced UCLA into 20 turnovers in that meeting, converting those mistakes into 18 points. All-American center Lauren Betts managed just eight points on eight shots as Texas led by 20 at halftime.
"Coming out with a certain level of aggression is important and I'm going to make sure I do that," Betts said Thursday.
A fierce frontcourt battle is primed to steal the spotlight, as UCLA powerhouse Lauren Betts contends with Longhorns stars Kyla Oldacre and Madison Booker. Betts averaged 18.5 points and 7.6 rebounds this season while shooting 60.1% from the field. For her part, Booker averaged 19.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while leading Texas with 83 steals.
The No. 1 seeds have cruised through the NCAA tournament thus far, with Texas coming off a 36-point Elite Eight blowout over No. 2 seed Michigan. The Longhorns dominated four straight tournament opponents, allowing an average of just 49.4 points per game.
UCLA rebounded from its November loss by subsequently winning a program-record 28 straight games — including four double-digit NCAA tournament victories.
Texas is seeking its first national championship since its undefeated 1986 run. UCLA chases its first NCAA title, having won an AIAW championship in 1978, years before the NCAA took charge of women's basketball.
"This team right here, we're playing our best basketball, and we're doing it while having fun — we're doing it as a sisterhood," Booker said from Phoenix. "Win or lose, I'll be so proud of this group."
"I knew I just wanted to get back here again," Betts said. "This is not the end goal. We want to keep playing."
How to Watch UCLA vs. Texas in the 2026 Women's Final Four
UCLA tips off against Texas on Friday at 9:30 PM ET, live on ESPN.
The winner advances to Sunday's national championship game.
As the 2025/26 Player of the Year race heats up, Tuesday's NCAA women's basketball conference awards teased the front-runners for this year's national honors.
The Big Ten named UCLA center Lauren Betts its Big Ten Player of the Year (PoY) and, for the second season in a row, the Bruins' star also collected the conference's Defensive Player of the Year (DPoY) award.
Also running it back this year is Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo, who became the first-ever ACC player to earn both PoY and DPoY in back-to-back seasons. Even more, the junior guard continued her iron grip on the ACC's defensive title — an honor Hidalgo has won in all three of her NCAA seasons.
For the second year in a row, a TCU transfer and a West Virginia standout scored the Big 12's top honors, as Hidalgo's former teammate Olivia Miles took home the conference's PoY title in her first season as a Horned Frog, while Mountaineer senior Jordan Harrison earned the DPoY award.
Meanwhile in the SEC, Vanderbilt sophomore and reigning Division I scoring leader Mikayla Blakes rose to the top of the NCAA's deepest conference to win PoY, while South Carolina's Raven Johnson capped her senior year with the Gamecocks as the SEC's DPoY.
"I just want to do whatever my team needed me to do and put me in that position to be able to win," Blakes said this week.
With a brand-new NCAA basketball PoY guaranteed this year after a March Madness injury benched USC's 2024/25 winner JuJu Watkins for the season, fans can expect UConn stars Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd to remain in the mix alongside national shortlist leaders Betts, Blakes, and Hidalgo as Big East conference awards emerge later this week.
The No. 2 UCLA Bruins narrowly avoided an upset on Sunday, surviving No. 8 Michigan 69-66 to extend their winning streak to 17 straight games — and strengthen their grip atop the 2025/26 Big Ten basketball table.
UCLA center Lauren Betts ran the court with 16 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists, while guard Kiki Rice put up a team-leading 20 points in the win.
Despite 16 forced turnovers and a strong fourth-quarter rally, Michigan sophomore guard Syla Swords air-balled a potentially game-tying buzzer-beater to seal the deal.
The Bruins haven't dropped a game since a late November loss to No. 4 Texas, as UCLA's size advantage — namely 6-foot-7 Betts and 6-foot-4 Angela Dugalić, who post a combined 13.3 rebounds per game — continues to wear down opponents.
"[The Wolverines] were playing really aggressively with us, so I was like, 'Why don't we do the same thing back?'" Betts said on Sunday. "Once we started rebounding and locking in on taking away their best players… that was just really important for us."
How to watch UCLA, Michigan in this week's NCAA basketball action
No. 2 UCLA will visit No. 12 Michigan State at 8 PM ET on Wednesday, before No. 8 Michigan hunts a bounce-back win against unranked Northwestern at 9 PM ET on Thursday.
Both Big Ten games will air live on Peacock.
Looking back, UCLA coach Cori Close has mixed emotions about her team’s 2024/25 campaign.
Featuring one of the most talented starting fives in the sport, the team made historic strides all the way to a program-first Final Four appearance. But last season also served up a bittersweet ending.
The Bruins saw their dream postseason unceremoniously ended by eventual national champions UConn in an 85-51 rout. Highly touted but inexperienced on the big stage, UCLA nearly reached the mountaintop before a rough tumble, stirring up questions about the team’s ability to hang with the NCAA’s blue chip establishment.
“There’s nothing like having a historic season, and falling a little bit short,” head coach Cori Close told JWS in October. “The hunger to do it better, but also the attention to detail that it really takes.”
“It’s one thing to know things in your head, it’s a whole other thing to have them in your heart,” she continued. “And I think our team has a higher degree of these things in our heart.”
With renewed focus and deepened experience — plus an even more complete roster that can run the court against just about anyone — the Bruins just might reach the mountaintop again in 2026.
Following another strong offseason recruiting cycle, UCLA currently sits fourth in the AP Top 25 Poll after ranked wins over No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 19 Ohio State, and No. 23 Tennessee. And now the reigning Big Ten Tournament champions are setting their sights on conference play — with Saturday’s showdown with Southern California rivals No. 17 USC front of mind.
From here on out, attention to detail could make all the difference in how this season’s story ends.
UCLA is on a mission to reduce turnovers and own the glass
Before the 2024/25 season even began, coach Close already knew exactly where her team needed to improve.
The Bruins played a fast-paced style last year, facilitating ball movement inside and out with skill players at every position. This year, Close believed her squad could excel in terms of discipline, rather than sheer talent.
“We went back and studied the last five national championship teams and talked about trends that we see that they all have, that maybe we’ve fallen short in,” she said. “We figured that we need to turn the ball over three fewer times a game.”
Defense also plays a factor. “When you really trace championship teams, they have to be dominant in their rebounding,” she added. “We have a goal to get 70 to 75% of the misses.”
13 games into the season, UCLA hasn’t quite achieved all their goals. But they are showing potential. They’re slightly up in average rebounds with 44.1 per game, while lowering average turnovers by more than three per game.
But the team’s limitations against top talent reared its head in their November 26th loss to No. 2 Texas. UCLA grabbed only 32 rebounds while committing 20 turnovers — nearly double their season average.
“I was really honest with [the players],” Close said after the 76-65 defeat. “There’s some things we’ve been talking about that haven’t gotten enough change. Maybe this will get us to change some things that led to this.”
The threat of not sizing up against the best of the best fresh in their minds, UCLA has subsequently looked stronger. They reduced their turnovers even more against then-No. 14 Tennessee in late November, before dominating the boards against No. 19 Ohio State last Sunday.
“We have an abundance of growth opportunities, we have an abundance of opportunities to invest in each other,” Close told JWS.
“We have an abundance of ways in which we can improve week by week. We’re going to just stay focused on those.”
The Lauren Betts blueprint: Efficiency over minutes
Reaching UCLA’s goals relies on team-wide commitment — and figuring out the best way to utilize the team’s biggest star.
The Bruins have a wealth of elite guards, with upperclassmen like Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez running the backcourt. But it’s no secret that the team’s attack and defense runs through 6-foot-8 All-American center Lauren Betts.
The senior is a global talent. She made her USA Basketball debut in December, and is shortlisted to become the 2026 WNBA Draft No. 1 pick once her decorated college career comes to an end.
One of the most dominant two-way bigs in the college game, Betts averaged a near-20-point, 10-rebound double-double last season. She’s an attention magnet on the court, disrupting play at the rim with the motor needed to finish the work back up the court.
Ironically, though, to get the most out of Betts, Close has found she has to actually limit her time on the floor.
“When Lauren and I had our exit evaluation meetings last year, we both agreed that she needs to have less minutes,” said Close. “And honestly maybe even less shots, but more efficiency.”
“As a 6-foot-8 player, you get beat up so much before she even touches the ball,” Close continued. “I think it’s important that we protect her wherever we can.”
Betts is aware that physicality can sometimes throw her off her game. She’s now pushing to hone her tenacity at the rim while leveraging her size through double- or triple-teams.
“Just playing the game, making the right read, is something that’s really important for me, trusting that I know what to do on the floor,” Betts at reporters from USA Basketball training camp last month.
“Also aggressiveness, I think that’s something that I can always grow into.”
UCLA enters 2026 with fresh faces — and family ties
Close sees Betts at her best with nothing to prove individually and a little extra help under the basket. And they worked hard over the offseason to get her that support, shaking things up via both traditional recruiting and the transfer portal.
Take senior transfer Gianna Kneepkins, for example. The former Utah standout is giving the Bruins a scoring boost with 14.3 points per game while carrying minutes alongside more established starters.
“She’s been a pivotal puzzle piece for us in terms of having a 50/40/90 player that’s really able to stretch the floor. She’s making everybody better around her,” Close said of Kneepkins, as the newcomer provides a tall outside presence in the paint.
Close also credits second-year transfer Charlisse Leger-Walker. She’s bolstered the team off the bench after sitting out last season to rehab her ACL.
Betts’s biggest supporter, however, stems from a little closer to home. Lauren’s little sister Sienna, the No. 2 recruit in her class, joined the Bruins this season. And she shares many of her older sister’s attributes on the court.
Listed at 6-foot-4, the freshman can stretch defenses even without her big sister on the court, strengthening UCLA’s reach through negative runs while forcing opponents to game-plan for even more frontcourt power
“[I’m] just trying to help her as much as I can,” Lauren said of her sister prior to the season start. “Especially because we’re playing kind of the same position. Just trying to help her with the plays, help her with tough practices, kind of helping her move on.”
Unfortunately, a lower leg injury delayed Sienna’s college debut by 10 games. The younger Betts missed the loss to Texas, slowing down some of the flow Close is looking to build against a big-heavy lineup. But the plan for the Betts sisters is still very much in motion, even with limited playing time.
Reverse engineering success, one UCLA game at a time
Entering the new year with a healthy roster, UCLA will now have to balance expectations both inside and outside the locker room. Because regardless of how the season ends, significant change looms on the horizon.
“I think it’s really tempting to be championship or bust, and that could not be further from our mission,” Close explained.
“I am such a big believer that you talk about your end goal one time. And then you reverse engineer the process and habits it’s going to take to get there.”
“Just staying present, recognizing that this is also a new team,” senior Kiki Rice told JWS in October. “After what happened last year, there’s lessons in the past. [But we] really just focus on being our best versions of ourselves every day.”
UCLA might have fallen short against Texas last month. But they maintain faith that increased depth, veteran leadership, and a refreshed detail-oriented outlook can guide them all the way through the postseason.
“There were certain levels of preparation, certain ways that we needed to minimize distractions, certain ways we needed to handle all of the ways that are going to be pulling on our attention,” Close said of the team’s Final Four journey, noting that she also learned some major lessons herself.
For now, UCLA is enjoying the moment — and the process — with the hope that the wins keep coming this spring.
“This is probably the most complete team I’ve ever coached,” Close added. “If we can stay healthy and stay focused, we’re going to have big things ahead.”
USA Basketball dropped its 18-player December roster on Monday, selecting both standout vets and fresh faces for the national team's final training camp of 2025.
Taking place at Duke University from December 12th until the 14th, five 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalists — Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young — will anchor the Team USA lineup.
Notably, a full 10 players will join the senior team for the first time next month, as young WNBA superstars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and Cameron Brink earn their first call-ups.
A pair of NCAA stars will also attend the December camp, with the national governing body tapping both UCLA senior center Lauren Betts and USC junior guard JuJu Watkins on the roster — though Watkins will not participate in on-court activities as she continues to rehab an ACL tear.
Along with the full camp roster, USA Basketball also dropped its December sideline leaders, with current WNBA head coaches Nate Tibbetts (Phoenix Mercury), Natalie Nakase (Golden State Valkyries), and Stephanie White (Indiana Fever) comprising the assistant coaching staff for the previously announced senior national team head coach Kara Lawson.
December's camp is the team's first step toward the World Cup qualifiers in March, when the US will compete despite having already qualified for the 2026 FIBA World Cup by winning the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup in July.
Overall, the clock starts now for USA women's basketball managing director Sue Bird, who is in charge of cultivating the best team for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The USA Basketball December Training Camp Roster
- Lauren Betts (UCLA)
- Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever)
- Cameron Brink (LA Sparks)
- Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings)
- Veronica Burton (Golden State Valkyries)
- Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics)
- Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever)
- Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury)
- Chelsea Gray (Las Vegas Aces)
- Brittney Griner (Atlanta Dream)
- Dearica Hamby (LA Sparks)
- Kiki Iriafen (Washington Mystics)
- Rickea Jackson (LA Sparks)
- Brionna Jones (Atlanta Dream)
- Kelsey Plum (LA Sparks)
- Angel Reese (Chicago Sky)
- JuJu Watkins (USC)
- Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces)
Dallas has once again jumped to the front of the line, as the Wings locked down the No. 1 overall pick at the 2026 WNBA Draft, scoring the top draft selection for the second straight year at Sunday's lottery.
The Wings selected UConn star guard Paige Bueckers with last year's No. 1 pick, with the NCAA champion going on to win 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year.
"We've got an exciting young group, and we really bond together," said Dallas Wings forward and 2023's overall No. 3 draftee Maddy Siegrist. "I'm excited to bring someone else in."
In the rest of Sunday night's 2026 lottery results, the league's rich got richer, with 2025 WNBA playoff contenders the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm claiming the No. 2 and No. 3 picks, respectively, after both teams gained draft assets via trades.
The Washington Mystics will boost their already impressive young roster with the fourth draft pick in April, while the Chicago Sky snagged the fifth and final lottery spot on Sunday.
With 2026 WNBA season expanding to 15 teams, the league's two incoming expansion sides — the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire — will select in the Nos. 6 and 7 spots.
As for the 2026 class, top NCAA prospects including UConn guard Azzi Fudd, UCLA center Lauren Betts, and TCU guard Olivia Miles — as well as international star Awa Fam from Spain — are likely to earn early selections in April's WNBA Draft.