Ditching Cameron Brink’s Cardinals, Why Did Top Recruit Lauren Betts Transfer to UCLA?

Once committed to play aside the Stanford Cardinals star Cameron Brink, Lauren Betts is now creating her own path in the basketball world. But not for the reasons you are thinking. After a year, Betts decided to hang the Cardinals jersey as she entered the transfer portal and joined the UCLA. This unexpected transfer raised questions and left many fans wondering about her game plan. 

Being considered a five-star recruit in her class, Betts received scholarship offers from several highly renowned programs, but to challenge herself and take her game to the next level she committed to Stanford. Playing a role as a backup center, she took on the challenge but eventually decided to make a surprising transfer. Now, the question on everyone’s mind is: why?

The Switch-up Chronicles

During her time at the Cardinals, Lauren Betts averaged 5.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per game. The basketball community wanted to see how Betts’ career would shape up under the guidance of head coach Tara VanDerveer, but many noticed that Betts did not have much playing time as she was blocked by center Cameron Brink on the depth chart. Although several thought her playing time and contribution to the team would gradually increase, Betts wasn’t sticking around to find out what it was going to be. 

In an interview with Daily Bruin, Betts said, “My decision coming to this school [UCLA] was made because of my morals and what I believe in and in my relationships between me and coaches, and not because of other things. I came here because I wanted to have a good relationship between me and my coaches, and I felt like I truly belong here, and I fit in well with this family.” 

While many were sad to see Betts go, many anticipated that this was a good decision as in the Cardinals, Brink was dominating as a center where Betts was off the court most of the time. With her towering figure of six foot and seven inches, the Cardinals could have used her to dominate the league for sure. But as her skills and talent weren’t being valued there, she decided to walk away. 

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As Betts picks up the Bruins jersey now, her decision to switch from Stanford continues to pique curiosity. However, she sought more playing opportunities and a better fit for her skills. And that’s exactly what she found at UCLA. Notably, she is creating a big impact as a part of the Bruins force. 

How has she performed so far?

The addition of Betts to the roster of Bruins is proving to be a smart move. With her dominating skills, the Bruins have won eleven out-of-eleven matches they have played so far with an average score difference of 30.4 points per game. Currently, she is averaging 16.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 0.8 assists with an average playing time of 23 minutes per game. 

“I told Coach Cori that I just really want to make sure that we win this year, and I’m willing to do whatever,” said the five-star recruit. “So if she wants to have a really good inside presence, then I’m going to do that.”

The team’s success showcases that sometimes a change in scenery can make all the difference. Seeing her performance so far, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that great things can be expected from this young prodigy. 

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As the season continues, fans will be keeping their eye on Lauren Betts to witness how she is gonna perform in the upcoming games and how her future shapes.