SPOKANE, Wash. — Cori Close pulls up the year-old film for clues. The UCLA coach searches clips of UCLA’s Sweet 16 loss to Louisiana State last year for reminders of sets to run, defensive game plans that could work and mistakes to be rectified as the teams meet again in the Elite Eight on Sunday. But Close’s most obvious takeaway goes beyond UCLA’s own scouting report.
It’s that Lauren Betts isn’t just good anymore. The 6-foot-7 center has crossed over to dominant.
Coming off 31 points and 10 rebounds in a Sweet 16 win over Mississippi, Betts’ progression from budding star to unstoppable force has pushed UCLA to the brink of its first NCAA Final Four. Perhaps the national semifinal isn’t even a high enough ceiling to contain the UCLA’s first Associated Press first-team All-American.
“UCLA looks like a team that can win the national championship to me,” Mississippi coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said, “because I don’t — like, who is going to stop her?”
LSU will get the next try. The No. 3-seeded Tigers face UCLA in the Spokane Regional 1 final Sunday at noon .
The rematch of last year’s Sweet 16 will take place one year exactly since the Tigers knocked the Bruins out in Albany, N.Y. Betts had 14 points and 17 rebounds in the game, but UCLA wilted down the stretch. After taking a three-point lead with 2:51 remaining, the Bruins were outscored 14-2.
The Bruins often recalled the empty feeling in last year’s locker room as motivation to improve this season. The sight of UCLA and LSU in the same region sent a murmur through the crowd at UCLA’s selection show watch party.
Yet when asked Saturday of last year’s game, LSU coach Kim Mulkey recalled very few details. Only that LSU won.
Guard Flau’jae Johnson, who had a team-high 24 points and 12 rebounds in last year’s game, estimates UCLA (33-2) is a better team now than last season. But the Tigers (31-5) have improved in their own ways.
While they lost star Angel Reese, who had 16 points and 11 rebounds against the Bruins, forwards Aneesah Morrow and Sa’Myah Smith formed their own dynamic frontcourt duo. They became the only teammates in NCAA tournament history with 20-point double-doubles and five assists each in LSU’s second-round win over Florida State.
Smith, who missed almost all of last season after tearing a knee ligament, has back-to-back 20-point double-doubles. She had 21 points and 11 rebounds in LSU’s Sweet 16 win over North Carolina State and will be a key defender against Betts, whose own improvement has impressed Mulkey.
“Her height is really an advantage, but it’s also her skill level,” Mulkey said of Betts. “She’s learning how to really post you deep, and that just comes with experience and age and just probably them working with her every day.”
Betts, who had 30 points and 14 rebounds in a second-round win of the NCAA tournament, became the third player in the last 25 years with multiple 30-point, 10-rebound games in the NCAA tournament. The exclusive list includes Brittney Griner and Elena Delle Donne.
After USC bottled up Betts for a frustrating 11 points on five-of-11 shooting in UCLA’s regular-season finale, the All-American has found a new level. In the last six games, Betts is averaging 22 points and nine rebounds while shooting 79.7% from the field.
“I’ve just completely changed my mindset going forward,” Betts said of her shift after a loss to USC. “I think just being aggressive no matter what and doing whatever I need to do to help my team and continuing to be positive regardless of what happens.”
Betts has gotten stronger after she was voted to the All-Pac-12 team last year, UCLA associate head coach Shannon LeBeauf said, and the junior is tapping into her athleticism more this season. She works every day with coaches after practice on sealing defenders deeper in the post.
But much of Betts’ improvement stems from off-the-court work.
Privately, she has worked on her mindset to be more patient with herself, teammate and graduate student Angela Dugalic said. Once she stopped criticizing herself for every missed shot or tiny mistake, Betts’ true skills have shined.
“She has things you can’t teach,” LeBeauf said. “Her timing, her hands, her coordination stuff, you cannot teach. Her being able to access all of that has to do with her confidence.”
LeBeauf calls the center her “favorite unicorn.” Betts is playing her best basketball ever, UCLA’s long-time assistant estimated, but it’s not close to her full potential.
“We’re going to get her shooting that three,” LeBeauf said.