When it comes to March, Paige Bueckers is usually the problem, not the one solving them. The UConn star has been here before. She’s battled through injuries, carried rosters, and made clutch plays feel routine. But in this year’s Final Four, Bueckers and the Huskies are facing something-and someone-they haven’t quite seen.
Her name is Lauren Betts. And she changes everything.
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The 6’7″ UCLA center is more than just tall-she’s dominant. She’s shooting nearly 65% from the field this season, including a ridiculous 75% in the NCAA Tournament. Her footwork is elite, her touch is soft, and her passing makes double-teams feel like a trap for the defense. When Betts gets position near the rim, teams usually have two options: foul or pray.
UConn’s size problem isn’t just physical-it’s tactical
This is where things get tricky for UConn. The Huskies don’t have a traditional post who can match up with Betts one-on-one. Their best bet might be to run with what’s worked: a smaller, quicker lineup that spaces the floor and keeps defenders scrambling. At the center of that idea-ironically-is 6’2″ freshman Sarah Strong.
Strong doesn’t play like a freshman, and she doesn’t play like a forward, either. In UConn’s Elite Eight win over USC, she dropped 22 points and 17 rebounds, hitting four of six threes and doing most of her damage from outside. She stretched the defense and created space for Bueckers, who quietly dominated with her usual control and vision.
“We’ve played big teams before,” Bueckers said after that game. “But Sarah gives us so much flexibility-it lets us be who we are.”
Still, Lauren Betts isn’t just “a big team.” She’s a one-woman wall who just won the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. UCLA keeps her close to the rim for a reason, and she’s the backbone of a defense that swarms the perimeter and dares you to challenge her inside. UConn’s strength is movement, spacing, and shooting. UCLA’s is discipline, length, and patience.
It’s the kind of chess match that usually favors Bueckers and head coach Geno Auriemma. But Betts could flip the board.
