Former No. 1 recruit Lauren Betts is transferring to UCLA from Stanford, and the balance of women’s basketball power in California could be shifting with her.

With the transfer decision, the Bruins will have the No. 1 and No. 2 prospects from the 2022 class, with Betts joining Bruins guard Kiki Rice.

Rice made the Pac-12 all-freshman team in 2023, averaging 11.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists en route to UCLA’s first NCAA Sweet 16 appearance since 2019 — making it one round farther than Stanford, which lost in the second round. UCLA also upset Stanford in the semifinals of the Pac-12 tournament.

The addition of a 6-foot-7 center in Betts makes UCLA an even bigger threat in the upcoming season, particularly as seniors Charisma Osborne and Camryn Brown have announced they will be staying for a fifth year.

Osborne originally declared the draft but withdrew her name to stay with the Bruins. She has been a major part of the Bruins lineup, averaging 15.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game last season.

Additionally, the team will add McDonald’s All-American forward Amanda Muse as a highly-touted recruit.

Former No. 1 overall recruit Lauren Betts is leaving Stanford after one season for in-state rival UCLA, she announced Tuesday via Instagram.

The top recruit in the class of 2022, the 6-foot-7 center played just 9.6 minutes per game for the Cardinal this past season, averaging 5.9 points and 3.5 rebounds.

She entered the transfer portal in early April, several weeks after No. 1 seed Stanford’s shocking exit in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Two other Cardinal players also are in the portal: freshman Indya Nivar and junior Agnes Emma-Nnopu.

While Betts did not post on social media about her transfer, her mother Michelle Betts responded to a post about her daughter’s decision, referencing the plans of the Stanford coaching staff.

“None of you have any idea what they might have planned or not planned for Lauren,” Michelle Betts wrote in a post retweeted by Lauren.

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow,” Lauren Betts wrote in her own post announcing her move to UCLA.

UCLA had recruited Betts during her career at Grandview High School in Colorado, as did South Carolina, UConn, Notre Dame and Oregon. While she ended up choosing Stanford out of high school, she’ll head down the California coast to UCLA to continue her career.

Twitter account College Transfer Portal first reported Betts’ transfer decision.

UCLA senior guard Charisma Osborne is forgoing the 2023 WNBA Draft, electing instead to use her extra year of NCAA eligibility.

As a WNBA coach told Osborne and UCLA coach Cori Close, the decision could be a smart move.

To provide her players with the best possible advice about their futures, Close frequently touches base with WNBA coaches. One coach offered Close and Osborne a stark assessment about life in the professional league, the New York Times reported Sunday.

“Does Charisma want to make more money and stay in college and get massages, fly charter, have everything paid for, have a nutritionist and have her own trainers that are paid for?” Close said, quoting the coach. “Or does she want to have none of those things and fly Southwest with us?”

The latter scenario would hold true only if Osborne made the cut for a WNBA roster. The 12-team league is facing a roster crunch, with just 36 draft picks and 144 roster spots but more than 80 players on the draft entry list.

“We have all these people growing and mastering their craft, with no place to go in the United States,” Close said. “It’s just really sad that those are the conversations we’re having to have with our league and our college game being so healthy and vibrant and growing.”

Osborne had declared for the draft after UCLA’s Sweet 16 exit from the NCAA Tournament, but the 5-9 point guard has withdrawn her name. The WNBA Draft will be held at 7 p.m. ET on Monday in New York, and if draft entrants choose to withdraw, they must do so at least five days before (so, by Thursday).

Los Angeles Sparks guard Lexie Brown pushed back against some of the criticism of the WNBA, tweeting Tuesday: “Y’all really think we don’t have massage therapists, trainers, and nutritionists?”

Still, future top draft picks are weighing their options, including Iowa junior Caitlin Clark and UConn junior Paige Bueckers. Most of this season’s juniors and seniors have the option to use the extra year of eligibility granted to college athletes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tennessee senior Tamari Key laid out reasons players might choose to stay after she and her teammate Rickea Jackson opted to return for another season with the Lady Vols. Among them was the name, image and likeness policy, which opens up NIL deals to students.

Key also mentioned chartered flights, which have been a sticking point for WNBA players over the last few seasons.

“I’m not speaking for everyone when I say this, but I’m sure if you asked collegiate women’s basketball players that are staying an extra year, you would probably get an answer similar to any of these,” she wrote.

The postseason is less than one month away, and with it comes a slew of awards, including Freshman of the Year.

DePaul forward Aneesah Morrow won the award last year after a breakout season. In 2020-21, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark of Iowa and UConn’s Paige Bueckers were co-recipients. This year’s recipient will join some elite recent company.

Just Women’s Sports breaks down the top six candidates for 2023 Freshman of the Year.

Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State

There have been some great freshman performances so far this season, but it’s hard for many of them to truly compare with Florida State’s 5-foot-8 guard. Not only is Latson leading the freshman class in scoring, she’s also No. 8 among all players in the country with 21.9 points per game. She also contributes 4.5 rebounds and three assists per game, while shooting 46 percent from the field. She’s led Florida State to a No. 19 ranking and wins over ranked ACC teams Duke, NC State and North Carolina.

Latson is a prolific scorer, but her best attribute this season has been consistency. The guard has scored fewer than 10 points just once this season, while also hitting the 30-point mark six times in 27 games. Highlights include 31 points in an overtime victory over NC State and 21 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals in Florida State’s upset of UNC.

Several players have cases for Freshman of the Year, but none mean as much to their team as Latson does to Florida State. With less than a month left in the regular season, she is the frontrunner for the award.

Kiki Rice, UCLA

The No. 2 recruit in the country came to UCLA with a lot of hype and has handled it with poise. Rice knows she isn’t the main option for the Bruins (that mantle belongs to senior guard Charisma Osborne), but she plays her secondary role in a positive way, doing a bit of everything for her team. Rice is averaging 11.5 points per game, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and a team-high 1.3 steals.

Rice has been a starter for UCLA since Game 1 this season, and she adjusted to the college game seamlessly. On Nov. 20, against a long, athletic Tennessee squad, Rice responded with 15 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals to help her team secure an upset win. The guard also held her own in a close contest with South Carolina, recording 16 points and five rebounds.

Cotie McMahon, Ohio State

Despite coming in as a highly-touted recruit, McMahon likely wasn’t expecting to play such a big role this season on a stacked Ohio State team. But injuries to Jacy Sheldon and Madison Greene meant the Buckeyes didn’t have time to ease McMahon into a bigger role. She had to take it right away, and the forward has delivered. In 26.4 minutes per game, McMahon is averaging 14 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

The forward has done everything Ohio State has asked of her while adding a new element to their offense. She brings physicality to the court and is able to drive and create, serving as a good complement to shooters like Taylor Mikesell and post players like Rebeka Mikulasikova. Even in games where Ohio State has struggled, McMahon has often been a bright spot. She held her own in losses to top opponents, Iowa and Indiana, recording 21 points in each contest.

Grace VanSlooten, Oregon

Oregon has had a steep decline in recent weeks, dropping 10 of their last 14 games after starting the season 10-1 and climbing into the Top 25. But while the Ducks have had trouble in a difficult Pac-12 conference, Vanslooten has not. She’s second on the team in scoring with 14.5 points and second in rebounds with 6.2 per contest. The 6-3 forward has produced those numbers in a league with experienced post players defending her.

VanSlooten doesn’t shy away from top competition, recording a career-high 29 points on Dec. 21 in a loss to then-No. 3 Ohio State, while also grabbing nine rebounds for a near-double-double. Other highlights include 17 points and 11 boards against UNC, and 17 points and eight rebounds against UCLA.

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Flau'jae Johnson has been key to LSU's 23-1 run this season. (Stephen Lew/USA TODAY Sports)

Flau’jae Johnson, LSU

When LSU plays, eyes are on the duo of Angel Reese and Alexis Morris, but Johnson has developed into a reliable third option for the Tigers. She’s averaging 12.5 points per game and is second on the team in rebounding with 6.3 per game, despite being just 5-10. She’s also blocking one shot per game, which speaks to the energy, effort and athleticism she brings to the court. Johnson even has three double-doubles this season on points and rebounds.

Johnson showed her variety of skills in a win over UAB on Nov. 26, finishing with 19 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and three steals. The guard was then crucial in a close 79-76 victory over Arkansas on Jan. 19, when she contributed 19 points and six rebounds. (Unrelated to the award debate: Johnson also has world-class talent off the court.)

Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Baylor

Like VanSlooten of Oregon, Littlepage-Buggs will have a tough time winning this award because of her team’s struggles. But also like Vanslooten, Littlepage-Buggs has been a consistent bright spot for her team. The 6-1 forward is averaging a near-double-double with 9.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest. She’s also efficient in her attempts, shooting 51.3 percent from the field.

Littlepage-Buggs has clearly impressed coach Nicki Collen, who has called on the talented freshman to start in 19 of her team’s 24 games. Even when she doesn’t start, Littlepage-Buggs is a fixture on the court for the Bears, playing 24.8 minutes per contest. In a recent win over a tough Kansas squad, she played 30 minutes off the bench and finished with 12 points and a team-high 10 rebounds.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

UCLA incoming freshman Kiki Rice has signed with Wasserman for NIL representation, with the company announcing the news Thursday.

The Sidwell Friends guard joins UCLA with a long high school resume, winning nearly every award there is to win.

In 2022, Rice was named the Just Women’s Sports High School Basketball Player of the Year, Gatorade National Player of the Year, Naismith Prep Player of the Year, Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year and McDonald’s All-American Game co-MVP. She enters college with plenty of hype after averaging 26.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game as a senior.

Rice joins the likes of UConn superstar Paige Bueckers on Wasserman’s athlete roster.