Mystics rookie Lauren Betts just had one of those weeks that sums up the entire chaotic start to a WNBA career, even if it feels a world away from our Emerald City. On Tuesday, she was up in Canada helping her Washington squad snag a huge 79-62 win against the Tempo. That victory kept the Mystics in position for a playoff spot and actually clinched the season series over Toronto. You’d think that’s a good week right there, but oh man, it was just getting started.
ESPY Glory, Then a Gut-Punch Loss. Seriously.
Barely 24 hours after that big win, Betts was on stage in Los Angeles looking absolutely sharp, accepting an ESPY Award for Best Women’s College Athlete. Imagine that! She even dropped a powerful speech on mental health, telling everyone, “Your mental health is not separate from your success. It’s the foundation of everything that you do. The strongest people aren’t the ones who never struggle. They’re the ones who have the courage to let someone walk through their struggle with them.” This is a player who just led UCLA to a national championship! But hold up, less than a day later, she’s back on the East Coast with the Mystics, taking one of the team’s worst losses of the season, a brutal 75-56 dud to the Portland Fire. Talk about a dizzying turnaround.
From UCLA Star to WNBA Rookie Reality Check
Just a few months ago, Betts was crushing it at UCLA, leading them to a national title, and everyone thought she might go No. 1 overall in the draft. Instead, Azzi Fudd went first to the Dallas Wings, and Betts landed at No. 4, after Olivia Miles went to Minnesota and our very own **Awa Fam** came to the Seattle Storm. It’s been a tough adjustment for Betts. She’s only started one of 23 games so far, averaging just 6.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in around 16 minutes per contest. It’s definitely been a rockier start than some expected. She’s still trying to process winning a national championship, then BAM, welcome to the WNBA. Her “welcome moment” was getting blocked by none other than Brittney Griner, and Betts was actually hyped about it! She said, “It’s like an honor. I’m not really mad about it. I kind of love her, so I feel like when I got blocked, I was like, ‘wow.’ I can’t even be mad.” That’s perspective!
Betts might have been unstoppable in the paint in college, but she knows getting to that WNBA level takes time. The 22-year-old isn’t discouraged, though. She’s taking it day by day, and that’s exactly what you have to do in this league. She’s got a long road ahead, but that positive mindset is what’s going to get her there.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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