UCLA star Lauren Betts gets praised by The West Project for inspiring young girl hoopers

UCLA star Lauren Betts is earning admiration for her impact off the court. On Tuesday, the 6-foot-7 center received praise from The West Project for her efforts in inspiring young girl hoopers and giving back to the basketball community.

“Thank you, Lauren Betts, for investing in the lives of young girls through this amazing game of basketball," The West Project wrote on Instagram. "Your light is so important!! And we appreciate this partnership with @peaceplayers_us — thank you for the opportunity to work together to grow leaders in and for women in sport!”

The West Project is a community-driven initiative focused on using sport to empower youth, especially young girls. They have collaborated with PeacePlayers, a global nonprofit that unites youth through basketball.

Betts’ journey at the college level makes her contribution to this initiative the more impressive, given how successful she has been.

The center started her collegiate career at Stanford before moving to UCLA ahead of the 2023-24 season, where she quickly became an important part of the setup.

Last season, she increased her reputation as one of the most dominant bigs in college basketball. She averaged a career-high 20.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, while also contributing defensively.

Her contributions helped UCLA win the Big Ten Tournament and reach the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.

Betts was the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2022 and has lived up to the hype.

Lauren Betts set to be joined by sister Sienna Betts at UCLA

2025 McDonald's All-American Girls Game - Source: Getty

UCLA will welcome the No. 2 recruit in the 2025 class, Sienna Betts, who joins her sister Lauren on the team’s roster for the 2025-26 season.

Sienna is a 6-foot-4 forward from Grandview High School (Colorado), who has impressed at that level, and was the 2025 McDonald's All-American Game MVP.

Her arrival will bolster UCLA's frontcourt, and the narrative of playing alongside her sister will be interesting.