"Lauren Betts made a whole PowerPoint": Cori Close shares heartwarming story about UCLA star convincing sister, Sienna Betts, to join Bruins

UCLA coach Cori Close holds Lauren Betts' involvement key in welcoming her sister, Sienna Betts, to the school. College programs, especially notable schools like UCLA, USC and UConn - can go above and beyond to recruit promising talents out of high school. However, the Bruins' latest high-profile incoming player was recruited by none other than star center Lauren Betts.

In the snippet posted by ESPNW on Thursday, Close revealed that Sienna was initially unhappy after her sister transferred from Stanford. However, as the center settled in, she spearheaded the recruitment of her sister. During Sienna's visit, Lauren prepared a PowerPoint presentation to express why the recruit should join UCLA.

"Reality is, Sienna - it was hard when Lauren committed to us to transfer, Sienna wasn't very happy for a while and we really tried to convince her for that one year that this could be a really cool thing," Cori Close said.

"Sienna was on her visit and Lauren was in her first year at UCLA and Lauren did a whole PowerPoint presentation about why Sienna needed to be a Bruin. And I look over and just tears [flow] down Sienna's face."

Sienna Betts is a 6-foot-4 wing who was named MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game. She is ranked the No. 2 overall player in the nation by ESPN and will join her sister on the frontcourt next season.

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Cori Close's approach to treating Sienna Betts

While Sienna Betts might be perceived as Lauren Betts' younger sister in the college basketball world for the coming season, UCLA coach Cori Close intends to let go of that narrative in her coaching and will treat Sienna as her own person.

"Sienna is not Lauren's little sister, that's the biggest thing I am gonna protect ... Sienna is on her own incredible journey and I can't wait to see that unfold and she is not Lauren's sister, she is Sienna, and Lauren the same," she said.

Close led UCLA to its most dominant season and NCAA tournament run last season and is assumed to maintain the school's surge. She also won the 2025 Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year on Wednesday.