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Lauren Betts named MOP of NCAA Women's Tournament after UCLA wins title
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- Lauren Betts named MOP of NCAA Women's Tournament after UCLA wins title
For the first time in the history of the Women's NCAA Tournament, UCLA women's basketball has reached the mountaintop.
The No. 1-seeded Bruins stopped No. 1 South Carolina from adding to its dynasty by creating a piece of their own history by giving the Big Ten its first women's national championship since 1999 with a 79-51 win over the Gamecocks inside the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on Sunday.
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To no surprise, a big reason the Bruins were able to put together a national championship run was because of veteran forward Lauren Betts, who was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Women's NCAA Tournament after the win.
REQUIRED READING: UCLA vs South Carolina women's national championship score, updates, highlights
Betts was still able to be impactful on the box score with 14 points and 11 rebounds despite spending extended minutes in the first half on the bench with a member of UCLA's medical staff after what she told ESPN's Holly Rowe felt like she had something stuck in her throat, and even suggested that it may have been the dry air in Phoenix.
It's the second postseason tournament title for the Bruins, after they beat Iowa in the Big Ten tournament. It's also not the first postseason recognition for Betts, who became the first Big Ten player to win Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season a few weeks ago.
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Here's more on Betts winning MOP of the Women's NCAA Tournament, including a look at her March Madness stats and the full 2026 NCAA women's all-tournament team:
Who won NCAA Women's Tournament MOP?
UCLA forward Lauren Betts was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Women's NCAA Tournament on Sunday after the Bruins' national championship win over South Carolina. In two games at the Final Four in Phoenix, Betts averaged 15 points on a combined 13-of-20 shooting to go along with 22 combined rebounds, five combined blocks and five combined assists.
Betts is projected to be the No. 4 overall pick by the Washington Mystics in the upcoming WNBA draft, according to USA TODAY Sports' Meghan L. Hall.
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Lauren Betts March Madness stats
Here's a look at Betts' stats from March Madness this season:
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vs. Cal Baptist (First Round):22 points on 9-of-15 shooting, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block
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vs. Oklahoma State (Second Round):35 points on 15-of-19 shooting, nine rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block
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vs. Minnesota (Sweet 16):16 points on 7-of-9 shooting, five rebounds, five blocks, three assists and a steal
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vs. Duke (Elite Eight):23 points on 9-of-14 shooting, 10 rebounds, five blocks, three assists and a steal
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vs. Texas (Final Four semifinal):16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, 11 rebounds, three blocks and three assists
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vs. South Carolina (Final Four championship):14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, 11 rebounds, two blocks and two assists
2026 NCAA women's all-tournament team
Here's a look at the full 2026 NCAA women's all-tournament team:
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G Tessa Johnson (South Carolina)
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G Ti'Niya Latson (South Carolina)
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G Kiki Rice (UCLA)
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G Gabriela Jacquez (UCLA)
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F Lauren Betts (UCLA), MOP
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UCLA's Lauren Betts wins NCAA Women's Tournament MOP after Bruins' win
