LaurenBetts

News: 4 days agoBetts was selected by Washington with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft on Monday, Jenn Hatfield of The Next reports.

Spin: Betts dominated at UCLA over the last two seasons, and she finished out her collegiate career by bringing home an NCAA title with a win over South Carolina. She averaged 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.1 blocks over 37 appearances during her final campaign with the Bruins. Betts has excelled as a rim protector at the college level, which is a skill that should translate well in her move to the WNBA. She'll now get a chance to team up with Shakira Austin, who averaged 1.1 blocks per game across 38 appearances a season ago with the Mystics.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Betts was selected fourth overall by the Mystics in this year's draft and joins a team flush with young talent, including Shakira Austin, Kiki Iriafen, Sonia Citron and Georgia Amoore. Despite the talent around her, Betts should have the chance to compete for a starting role during training camp, as she's a strong contributor in the post and a strong rim protector. She averaged 18.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.5 blocks in 28.9 minutes per game over her final two collegiate seasons at UCLA and helped lead the Bruins to a national title this spring. Betts was part of a talented roster at UCLA that boasted a record-setting five first-round picks in this year's draft, signaling that she can hold her own among elite teammates, and she'll presumably be in the mix to make an immediate impact on both sides of the ball at the WNBA level.