The UCLA Bruins’ latest matchup against the Texas Longhorns left fans holding their breath. During the game, Bruins’ star player Lauren Betts appeared to hurt her left arm and ultimately left for the locker room. But head coach Cori Close kept things cautiously calm.

After the game, when asked about Betts’ condition in an interview, coach Close didn’t want to speculate and said, “I don’t know yet. I haven’t had a chance to talk to the docs yet. So, you know, we’ll go from there.”

With 9:32 minutes left in the third quarter of the game, Madison Booker of Texas stripped the ball from Betts during a battle for possession. As they fell to the court, Betts’ left arm bent awkwardly, sending a wave of concern through Pauley Pavilion. She stayed down for a few seconds in visible pain before managing to get up on her own and head straight to the locker room.

While everyone took a breath of relief when Lauren Betts returned to the court just over two minutes later, with 7:03 remaining, she was in pain as she was seen holding her elbow throughout the game. However, just a day after the Bruins’ men’s team faced a devastating loss, the Bruins women also went on to record their first loss of the 2025-26 NCAA season. As soon as the game tipped off, the Longhorns played aggressively, quickly building a double-digit lead and keeping the Bruins on their heels throughout the first half.

The Bruins tried to make a late push in the fourth quarter, going on a 22-3 run to close the gap to just four points. But by then, Texas’ first-half lead proved too much to overcome, ultimately ending the game with the final score of 76-65.

With her younger sister, Sienna Betts, already flagged as day-to-day after injuring her lower left leg in a scrimmage in mid-October, the team cannot afford Lauren to be sidelined as well. So far, there has been no word from the coach or any press release by the team on Lauren Betts’ condition. But the fact that she came back on the court to play for the remainder of the game is a positive sign. As the season continues, Betts’ performance and health will be closely watched, with the 2026 WNBA draft also just around the corner.

Top Prospect Lauren Betts Focused on Bruins Ahead of 2026 Draft

With the 2026 WNBA draft set to take place on April 13, Lauren Betts, who was considered a potential No. 1 pick, is now listed at No. 2. But to be fair, they are called mock drafts for a reason, and which team picks which player ultimately depends on their preference and need.

The Dallas Wings are holding the first lottery pick for the second time after having one of the worst seasons in 2025. However, with many speculating the Wings picking Azzi Fudd because of her on-court chemistry with their star player, Paige Buecker, during Buecker’s college days at UConn, Betts could end up in Minnesota, with the Lynx holding the No. 2 pick.

But for now, Betts’ focus remains on UCLA, as in a recent interview she said, “I don’t have a lot to say about (WNBA draft) right now, but that is really amazing, and I’m excited to see what the future holds, but I’m just loving being a Bruin as of right now, so I’m going to focus on that.”

And as she should! Because the UCLA Bruins will play their next game in less than 24 hours, against the Duke Blue Devils.