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Lauren Betts was drafted by the Washington Mystics No. 4 general within the 2026 WNBA Draft after coming off being the NCAA Match’s Most Excellent Participant, the Huge Ten Participant of the 12 months, and a two-time Defensive Participant of the 12 months who simply led UCLA to its first-ever nationwide championship.
The Dallas Wings held the No. 1 choose for the second straight 12 months and used the choose to take Azzi Fudd, reuniting former UConn star Paige Bueckers together with her former sharpshooting backcourt associate. The Minnesota Lynx took TCU guard Olivia Miles at No. 2, and the Seattle Storm drafted 19-year-old Spanish prospect Awa Fam third. By the point Washington was on the clock at No. 4, Betts was nonetheless on the board.
Betts posted 17.1 factors, 8.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.0 steals per recreation on 58 % capturing in her remaining school season. Her NCAA Match run solely offered extra cause for perception. Betts shot a minimum of 60% from the sector in all six match video games, averaged 21.0 factors, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and a pair of.8 blocks on 68.8% capturing, and was named the match’s Most Excellent Participant.
So what occurred?
WNBA Draft Protection: Dwell Tracker | Why Did Golden State Choose and Commerce Flau’jae Johnson? | Azzi Fudd goes No. 1 to Dallas Wings | Olivia Miles headed to Minnesota | Ballislife WNBA Mock Draft
Three Groups, Three Causes She Slipped
As soon as the Wings’ free-agent strikes have been made, together with including veteran frontcourt gamers Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard and re-signing Arike Ogunbowale, it turned clear that Dallas would prioritize a fringe complement over a giant. Fudd, an elite 3-point shooter, was the good choice for a workforce that was among the many worst in each main 3-point capturing class final season.
“Azzi Fudd is likely one of the greatest shooters in our recreation right this moment,” Wings common supervisor Curt Miller mentioned. “She has a lightning-quick launch and her motion off the ball is elite. She competes onerous defensively and is an environment friendly, unselfish participant who is aware of tips on how to win. In an impressive draft class, she stood out to us not solely together with her basketball abilities however together with her intangibles. She is a superb teammate and has excellent basketball IQ. Azzi brings to the Wings the kind of character that we wish in our locker room. We’re ecstatic so as to add her to our Wings household.”
Lauren Betts turns into the fourth participant within the final 30 years to win their respective convention participant of the 12 months award and win their packages first nationwide title 🏆
She is the primary to take action since A’ja Wilson in 2017 👏 pic.twitter.com/bXlxpPifye
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) April 6, 2026
Minnesota’s logic was equally easy. The Lynx misplaced six rotation gamers to the enlargement draft and free company, and with Napheesa Collier anticipated to overlook time early within the season, a degree guard of the longer term was a much bigger want given their getting older backcourt. Miles stood out as the kind of true level guard that Minnesota has lacked for a few years.
“Simply having a degree guard—having any individual that may generate simple baskets, on time, on course,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve mentioned of Miles. “Rim stress, taking part in choose and roll—there’s quite a lot of issues. The primary message I acquired inside a few minute after making our choice was from McBride, who was like, “I’m gonna have the ball in my arms. I’m gonna be huge open.” So she’s simply actually gifted.
“We felt like there have been two gamers with generational abilities within the draft, and the generational ability of passing, playmaking, level guard, and management—you already know, if Courtney Williams was watching, I don’t imply to recommend she’s not an amazing level guard—however that is the primary actual level guard we’ve had since Lindsay Whalen,” Reeve defined. “Once I say “actual,” I imply that sort of generational participant who makes a dwelling doing it. So yeah, we’re actually excited.”
With 6-foot-4 Ezi Magbegor and 6-6 Dominique Malonga already on the roster, the Storm did not seem to wish one other huge, however Fam’s mobility, youth, and potential have been too compelling to go on at 19 years outdated.
“I don’t know if we’ve seen such a a frontcourt,” Storm coach Sonia Raman mentioned. “I’m excited for the creativity that enables us as coaches to lean into some actually progressive ways in which we’re going to make use of them on each ends. So clearly extra to come back there. … I feel being younger, they’re going to develop collectively, they’re going to develop that chemistry with one another. And there’s quite a lot of ways in which we’re going to have the ability to transfer them round and be capable of sort of play off of one another in a extremely dynamic means.”
In fashionable basketball, conventional facilities who thrive within the submit — gamers like Betts — are much less valued draft targets, because the league traits towards versatile perimeter gamers.
Betts, although, has been clear-eyed concerning the criticism.
At UCLA’s Elevating Cane’s championship celebration earlier than the draft, she talked about how her recreation interprets to the WNBA.
“Clearly, having a extremely huge submit presence, I feel it is about persevering with to work on my abilities there, making ready my one-on-one recreation, making an attempt to unfold the ground a bit of bit extra if I can, and persevering with to develop in all features,” Betts mentioned. “Defensively, with the ability to swap out on guards is one thing I take quite a lot of delight in. I’ve labored actually onerous all preseason to maneuver my toes on the perimeter, and I feel that is going to assist me shifting ahead, particularly with the guards within the league. I’ll preserve getting higher in that space.”
That reply speaks on to the traditional-center skepticism on each fronts — flooring spacing and perimeter mobility. She will not be unaware of the critique. She is already working towards it.
Washington Received a Steal
Not one of the above modified what the Mystics landed. Betts’ capability to hit face-up photographs, alongside together with her low-block offense and top-level protection, made her a robust alternative for a Washington roster in full rebuild mode.
The Mystics missed the playoffs in each 2024 and 2025 and haven’t superior previous the primary spherical since successful the 2019 WNBA championship. Washington is constructing a robust basis with Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen as All-Stars of their rookie seasons, giving the workforce the supporting infrastructure wanted to make a paint presence like Betts viable. Betts has present ties to each.
It helps that she performed alongside Iriafen at Stanford throughout her freshman season in 2022-23 earlier than transferring to UCLA, and that she additionally frolicked with each gamers with USA Basketball.
“Truthfully, most likely Kiki,” Betts mentioned when requested which WNBA participant she is most excited to be taught from as a rookie. “She had an incredible 12 months in D.C., and he or she’s somebody I look as much as and have seemed as much as for a extremely very long time. I do know she’s going to assist me quite a bit, so I am actually excited.”
The frontcourt image is equally promising. Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson expects Betts to start her profession backing up Shakira Austin, who Washington re-signed to a three-year contract price $1.19 million yearly, however envisions Austin and Betts as a potent one-two punch.
“When Kira comes out, you are feeling like, ‘Ah, man, I do not know when you’ve got a drop-off there,’ as a result of Lauren is so good,” Johnson mentioned on the Mystics’ post-draft availability. “The extent that Kira units to then include Lauren, I feel it is a fairly wholesome mixture.”
Betts sees it the identical means.
“Each apply goes to be nice competitors, and we’ll make one another higher,” she mentioned Monday. “She’s established, an incredible participant and individual, and I do know I’ll be taught a lot from her. I am trying ahead to seeing how we play collectively, join, and proceed to enhance.”
Lauren Betts Is Desirous to Study
The tradition element issues too. On the Elevating Cane’s presser, Betts made clear how she intends to hold herself in 12 months one.
“I am moving into not making an attempt to set expectations too excessive for myself, however simply desirous to be taught from everyone and assist the workforce win video games in any means that I can,” Betts mentioned. “I am actually excited to be taught from all of the vets. I do know they’re wonderful folks and gamers, so I am trying ahead to studying from everybody.”
The Mystics didn’t cease at No. 4. In addition they drafted Angela Dugalić ninth general and Cotie McMahon eleventh — essentially the most picks of any workforce on the evening. Washington additionally signed Michaela Onyenwere, the 2021 WNBA Rookie of the 12 months, who served as a UCLA assistant coach throughout the Bruins’ title run, agreeing to a $1.4 million multi-year deal forward of the draft.
Johnson described the organizational method as concentrating on gamers who have been “good, younger and hungry” — gamers ascending alongside a franchise doing the identical.
Betts lands in Washington as an essential piece of a rebuild that already has expertise across the roster in place. She will be able to step in as an affect participant on a franchise motivated to return to the postseason stage, and now has a generational inside expertise to construct round.
Washington will likely be grateful for a very long time that three groups seemed elsewhere.
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