How Lauren Betts got ready to bring her 'confidence' and a Nikola Jokić comparison from UCLA to the Mystics

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Fresh off a national championship, UCLA star Lauren Betts will be starting her professional basketball career with the Washington Mystics as the No. 4 overall pick of the 2026 WNBA Draft. Now, Betts is ready to embrace the transition from college to the WNBA.

"It's been amazing. I've grown so much," Betts said on draft night. "My confidence, I feel like I just finally own who I am as a person, as a player. I'm just ready to see what the future holds. I'm really excited."

The 6-foot-7 center is a dominant paint player with the ability to contribute as an efficient scorer and as a strong rim protector. This past season, Betts led UCLA's offense with an average of 17.1 points on 58.2% shooting while also registering a team-best 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. Her height certainly helps, but she has put in a lot of work to separate herself from other talented players.

"I think defensively being able to switch out on guards, that's something I take a lot of pride in," Betts said when asked about her most underrated skill. "I've worked really hard all preseason to be able to move my feet on the perimeter. I think that's going to be really helpful for me moving forward, especially with the amazing guards the W has. I'm just going to continue to get better in that aspect."

Lauren Betts is heading to Washington as the No. 4 pick in the 2026 #WNBADraft presented by State Street Investment Management SPY pic.twitter.com/QPWLkfLRZH

— WNBA (@WNBA) April 13, 2026

UCLA assistant coach James Clark went as far as to compare Betts to Denver Nuggets star and MVP candidate Nikola Jokić.

"A player who has great hands, great footwork for her size and the way she has been passing, she is almost like Jokić," Clark, who previously worked with the Stockton Kings in the G-League and the Sacramento Kings, told CBS Sports. "She has a Jokić type of feel. If she shot that 3-ball a little bit more, she would definitely be like Jokić, but with her assists, she has been able to broaden her game out."

Betts does not shoot many 3-pointers during games, but Clark said she has shown promise in that area during practice. He described her as "ultra competitive" and a "perfectionist" who is constantly trying to evolve.

"The most growth is her outside shot, getting her to shoot the midrange jump shot a little bit," he said. "Coach Cori (Close) has always wanted me to tell her to pound and pound it in and get deep seals. But at the next level, she is not going to be able to do that... She's gotta be able to shoot a couple of jump shots.

"Now you can see that she is rounding everything in her game. She's not just one-dimensional just being a low-post player. She can face up. She's got a nice drop spin. She can shoot the ball. So she's worked really hard improving her game."

UCLA assistant coach James Clark works directly with Lauren Betts. I asked him about her legacy regardless of whether or not she wins a national championship with the Bruins.

“She is going to go down as one of the greatest players to ever play at UCLA, next to Ann Meyers.” pic.twitter.com/Mdv0ka5otr

— Isabel Gonzalez (@cisabelg) April 3, 2026

That growth showed up as Betts' college basketball career wound down, particularly in the lead-up to the national championship, where she and the rest of the Bruins beat South Carolina in the title game. Gamecocks associate head coach Lisa Boyer, who has experience at both the collegiate and professional levels, had Betts on her scouting report long before the championship matchup was officially set up.

"She's pretty impressive," Boyer told CBS Sports in late March when asked about a player who had caught her attention this season. "Her composure is there, she's not rushing, she's very secure in what she's doing."

The confidence Betts plays with didn't happen overnight; she struggled with her mental health before seeking professional help, a breakthrough she shared earlier this year in The Players Tribune.

"I had some struggles, but I survived," she wrote of her depression and anxiety. "I finally got that giant weight off my shoulders that I carried for so long. Now, I'm playing free and with joy. No matter where I go from here, I know I've come a long way."

Betts won't be alone in this new chapter: UCLA teammate Angela Dugalic was also selected by the Mystics as the ninth overall pick. Their former UCLA assistant coach, Michaela Onyenwere, also recently signed a multi-year deal to play with Washington. Betts, who  started her college career at Stanford, will also be reunited with former Cardinal teammate Kiki Iriafen, who was the No. 4 overall pick last year.

For now, Betts is expected to be the backup for Shakira Austin, Mystics coach Sydney Johnson said on draft night. The rookie is taking that as a challenge.

"Every single practice is definitely going to be great competition and I feel like we are truly just going to make each other better," Betts said. "And I'm excited to learn from her. She is established. She is an amazing player and amazing person. I know I'm going to learn so much from her. I'm really looking forward to seeing how we are able to play with each other. How we are able to connect and just continuing to make each other better."