UCLA's Lauren Betts, Gabriela Jaquez turn heads at LA Sparks' matchup vs Phoenix

Lauren Betts and Gabriela Jaquez got to hang out with UCLA coach Cori Close on Sunday after making a guest appearance in the WNBA game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Phoenix Mercury. Betts, Jaquez and Close sent the home fans into a frenzy when they participated in the T-shirt toss during the break.

A video posted on LoJo Media's X (formerly Twitter) account showed Betts and Jaquez before tossing the T-shirts to the crowd. Standing beside the two UCLA stars on the basketball court were Close and the LA Sparks mascot.

Lauren Betts also shared her participation in the T-shirt toss on her Instagram story, dropping a two-word reaction to the reception the UCLA Bruins got from the Los Angeles fans.

"Go Bruins," Betts wrote.

UCLA star Lauren Betts shared their participation in the T-shirt toss during the Los Angeles Sparks' game against the Phoenix Mercury on her Instagram story on Sunday. Source: Instagram/@laurenmariebetts

Betts also showed some action on the basketball court in her follow-up Instagram story.

"Go Hay go!!!" Betts posted.

Lauren Betts showed a piece of action between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Phoenix Mercury on her Instagram story. Source: Instagram/@laurenmariebetts

Lauren Betts and Gabriela Jaquez watch LA Sparks lose tight battle vs Phoenix

The Los Angeles Sparks headed into their weekend showdown against the Phoenix Mercury on a two-game losing streak after suffering back-to-back defeats against the Atlanta Dream and the Las Vegas Aces.

The Sparks got off to a strong start against the Mercury, building a 27-17 lead after the first quarter. They extended their lead to 18 points in the second quarter before settling for a 50-37 advantage at the break.

Lauren Betts and Gabriela Jaquez saw the Sparks' lead vanish in the third quarter. Phoenix outscored Los Angeles 24-9 during that period to grab a 61-59 lead entering the final quarter. Kitija Laksa, Kathryn Westbeld and Satou Sabally sealed the win for the Mercury, combining for five made free throws in the final 18.9 seconds to lead Phoenix to an 85-80 victory.

Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (#0) dribbles the ball against Los Angeles Sparks center Mercedes Russell (21) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Photo: Imagn

Sabally scored a team-high 24 points for the Mercury, who improved their record to 5-2. Odyssey Sims led the scoring for LA, dropping 32 points in 37 minutes. She shot 10-of-14 from the field, including 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Sims also made a living at the charity stripe, going 9-for-10 from the free-throw line.