Lauren Betts didn't make any promises that UCLA fans will see her sister Sienna make her debut for the Bruins tonight — but she didn't deny it, either. While chatting via video about her new NIL deal with Venmo on Tuesday, December 16, Lauren told High Post Hoops she "may or may not have heard" Sienna will be on the floor.
Her sister's delayed debut with the program has "been a crazy journey" and Lauren is "just really excited for her to get the opportunity to showcase all the hard work that she's been putting in." Sienna has "done a lot of hard work off the court to just kind of get her head right for today," Lauren added.
When Sienna committed to UCLA she was considered one of the top prospects in the country, and fans have eagerly awaited her first game for the Bruins after she suffered a preseason leg injury in October. She averaged 23 points, 16.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 3.4 blocks and 2.3 steals during her senior year at Grandview High School.
The Bruins will host the Cal Poly Mustangs Tuesday night at 7pm PST.
Lauren Betts reflects on the Bruins' loss to the Texas Longhorns
Sienna isn't the only NCAA player Lauren had high praise for. Like a lot of teams, the 9-1 Bruins suffered a loss this season to the Texas Longhorns, who are so far putting in the kind of season that builds a championship. That loss taught the team a lot, Lauren said, "and we've been held accountable; obviously, we learned a lot from that game."
The Longhorns are "playing super well, a really strong team," she continued, and that's in large part due to the work being put in by Rori Harmon who has "popped off this season."
Hanging out with Aliyah Boston at USA Basketball training camp
Lauren also recently made a debut of her own: she attended a senior training camp for USA Basketball alongside several WNBA heavyweights. That list included the Indiana Fever's Aliyah Boston, a favorite of Lauren's on, and now, off the court.
"I've looked up to her for a while, obviously, growing up watching college basketball," Lauren said. "I admire her game a lot, and to be in that setting with her and being on the court with her and talking to her on the sidelines was just really surreal," she added.
Lauren Betts has teamed up with Venmo
The conversation was part of a larger discussion about Betts' new NIL deal with Venmo, which she's been able to integrate really easily into her life (and can also use to receive her NIL payments). Lauren added that she's able to split meals with her teammates using the services' debit card, which also gives her 5% cash back as part of the Venmo Stash rewards program. The program also covers rideshares and major retail outlets, and allows users to build up the rewards over time.