'Just don’t let her score': Betts delivers game-saving block for UCLA

Cydney Henderson, USA TODAYSat, April 4, 2026 at 7:20 AM UTC

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PHOENIX — UCLA center Lauren Betts said she would do anything to play another day.

And with her senior season on the line, Betts delivered on that promise with a massive block in the closing seconds of UCLA’s Final Four semifinal matchup to secure a 51-44 win over Texas on Friday. Betts helped the Bruins to their first NCAA national championship bid, where they’ll meet No. 1 South Carolina on Sunday at Mortgage Matchup Arena.

“This is something that we've all dreamed of being in the position in. We're all very thankful. We expected to be here,” said Betts, who finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in the win. “Tonight we'll all celebrate with our families and soak this in. Tomorrow we have to lock in and prep for another 1-0.”

It wasn’t a pretty victory, so much so that UCLA head coach Cori Close felt the need to “apologize to all the fans for the rugby match and the 23 turnovers.”

“I felt guilty walking off the floor because it wasn’t pretty any shape or form,” Close added. "But you know, the reality its really all toughness at this point and finding a way to make a winning play. Even if it's a winning play, you wouldn't have predicted or chosen.”

UCLA led by as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter, before Texas pieced together a 7-0 run to cut its deficit to one possession. Texas' Madison Booker looked to stretch the run and drove to the basket after picking up a defensive rebound. But, Booker's shot attempt was emphatically swatted away by Betts, who recovered the rebound with 18.1 seconds remaining.

Betts let out a roar as ESPN play-by-play Ryan Rucco called it a "block for the ages."

“As soon as I saw (Booker) getting downhill, I'm like, all right, please block this, just don't let her score,” Betts said with a smile. “I was in a good position. I trust my work and my defense.”

Texas didn't score the remainder of the game. UCLA held Booker to six points, shooting 3-of-23 from the field and 0-of-4 from the 3-point line. Rori Harmon added eight points on 4-of-11 shooting.

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Betts' feat was even more impressive considering she suffered a scary fall in the third quarter. She collided with Booker on a rebound attempt and hit her head hard on the court. Betts remained down on the court for several minutes while holding her head.

"I'm not going to lie, it hurt. It hurt pretty bad," Betts said. "I feel like when you're in a situation, you're playing in the Final Four, your season's on the line, you've got to get over it and keep playing. There was no way I was coming out of the game."

The victory not only extended UCLA's winning streak to a program-high 30 games, but it avenged the Bruins' lone loss of the season to Texas in November. Texas head coach Vic Schaefer credited UCLA for coming out aggressive and playing "a lot like we like to play."

"The love that we have for each other truly drives us to just compete so hard. Like, we want this so bad for each other," Betts added. "The way we come out, the way we prep, the way we practice, the way we work on defense, the way we go for steals, that's all because we just want to earn more days with each other. We want to make history. We want to do this for each other... To earn a few more days, it's everything to us."

Betts called transferring to UCLA in 2023 after her freshmen year at Stanford "the best decision I've ever made."

"UCLA has changed my life for the better," she said. "I've gained a certain level of confidence. I've done things that I never thought I'd be able to do my freshman year. The amount of experiences I've had, people that I've met here, have been amazing. I'm just super grateful."

Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lauren Betts' block delivers UCLA to first NCAA national championship game

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