Head coach Cori Close’s UCLA Bruins women’s basketball reaped rewards after winning the national championship, as six seniors of the program were drafted into the WNBA. This includes Lauren Betts, the NCAA Tournament MOP, who got drafted fourth overall by the Washington Mystics.
The six departures would also mean that Cori Close will need to work that much harder to construct the next squad. She is getting help from Betts’ mother, Michelle Betts.
While Lauren might be heading towards the WNBA, her younger sister, Sienna Betts, is still with the program and is expected to land a more featured role next season.
During her recent appearance on Women’s Sports Now, Close reacted to how she is going to handle the program after losing six key figures to the WNBA. She revealed that she is going to take the transfer portal aide.
“Uh, transfer portal,” Close said. “I mean, thankfully we knew that this was coming. So I really had to plan financially, we had to plan in terms of how we were going to design the roster construction. Really talk to a lot of NBA and WNBA GMs throughout the season going, ‘Okay, what can I learn from this?’ Because really that’s what we are, we’re a semi-pro organization now.
“So, you know, we had to really prepare for it. But, you know, we’re trying to sign between five and six transfers, and so literally before I came here, I said goodbye to four of them, and here we go. We hope we’re done.”
Close also admitted how Lauren’s mother, Michelle, has offered to talk to recruits in the transfer portal to rebuild the UCLA program in no time. She candidly added:
“Lauren is doing a great… I mean, I’m wondering if I’m gonna get a bill.”
Inside Cori Close Getting Major Help from Lauren Betts’ Mother Michelle
So far, Lauren Betts’ mother has reportedly reached out to three players in the transfer portal via social media, including Tennessee freshman guard Aaliyah Crump, NC State sophomore forward Tilda Trygger and Stanford freshman forward Lara Somfai.
Crump, the No. 5 recruit in the class of 2025 by ESPN, played with Lauren’s sister Sienna on USA Basketball for several years. Somfai has represented Australia in many international tournaments and most recently, she was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team.
Last but not least, Trygger averaged a career-high 10.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.3 blocks in 30.1 minutes per game this past season.
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