"We have so many weapons on this team": Lauren Betts on UCLA's historic win over Dawn Staley's South Carolina
UCLA star Lauren Betts took charge in Sunday's win against the reigning NCAA champions, the South Carolina Gamecocks. She filled up the stat sheet with 14 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and four assists, resulting in the Bruins' first-ever win against an AP No. 1 team.
After the historic victory, the third-year center spoke about the win in the post-game press conference and alluded to team chemistry, rather than her stellar play, being the biggest factor in the win.
"We have so many weapons on this team," Betts said. "Our bench is just so deep and everyone's ready when their number is called to go out there and make a difference in the game." (6:00 mark)
Beside her on the table was junior guard Londynn Jones, who was a perfect 5-for-5 from 3-point territory off the bench. Betts made sure to shout out her teammate as a perfect example of someone who's always ready, saying:
"I thought Deezy (Londynn) was a great example of that today. She didn't start today but she went out there and did her thing like she always does." (6:13 mark)
Lauren Betts continued to credit her team for their readiness to rise to the occasion and the synergy that led to their huge triumph over South Carolina.
"I just think we have the mentality that we all want the same thing at the end of the day. We all went into this game like no matter what happens, we're just going to do what we have to do. It doesn't matter who scores the most points at the end of the day. We all just want to win," she concluded. (6:19)
Heading into the game, there was much speculation about whether UCLA could topple the Gamecocks, who were on a stifling 43-game winning streak dating back to their 2023-2024 NCAA Tournament Championship.
With a 5-0 record in the Big Ten Conference, UCLA aims to continue strong and go beyond their Sweet Sixteen exit last season.
Lauren Betts feels that UCLA is back on track with Kiki Rice's return
The fifth game of the 2024-2025 calendar also marked the return of guard Kiki Rice, who had been nursing a shoulder injury since the first game of the season.
In her return as a starter, Rice contributed 11 points, three assists, and two steals, with her calm presence on the court being a factor that Lauren Betts and the entire team had missed.
"She's just a super calm presence on the court. I just trust her with the ball in her hands that she's going to make the right decision a lot of the time...We're back to how it should be and I think she just played a great game today. I'm so proud of her," Betts said.
"She really is the rock of our team so I'm just so happy to have her back."
UCLA's next assignment will be the Tenesse-Martin Skyhawks on Friday at the Stan Sheriff Center.