It was a magical Sunday for the UCLA Bruins and their star Lauren Betts.
After three years of playing with the Bruins, Betts and a senior-led lineup prevailed in a do-or-die matchup against the South Carolina Gamecocks in their last chance to lift a national championship before moving to the WNBA.
It was an emotional afternoon for the Bruins, who got ahead early and never looked back, with every point in their two Final Four victories coming from the team’s seniors.
While in a few weeks they will all be rivals, many of them selected in the upcoming WNBA Draft, Sunday was a day of celebration for the dominant Bruins, who lost only a single game during the season to Texas, a team they avenged in the semifinals.
As the team held up their NCAA women’s championship, the first in school history, Betts was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament.
The crowd filled with Bruins supporters who made the quick trip to Phoenix cheered, but Betts had a question during what was supposed to be one of the bigger moments of her face.
“Do we have a trophy for that?”
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The odd moment perplexed the internet, with fans quick to wonder why the women didn’t have a trophy for the tournament’s best player to hoist at the end of the event.
“Yeah, that was beyond bizarre,” said a women’s basketball fan on social media. “But handled as gracefully as possible. Way to go UCLA!!!
“That was inexcusable,” chimed in another frustrated viewer. “Really pathetic.”
“Well, 2 yrs ago the Women’s Final Four barely had locker rooms, weight rooms or practice facilities,” added another fan on X. “While the men had whatever they needed. Not surprised they didn’t have a trophy for the Women’s Final Four [Most Outstanding Player].”
Individual trophy or not, Betts will be the face people remember a decade from now when talking about UCLA’s golden season. She now has a week to celebrate before her, and many of her teammates will be in New York City for the 2026 WNBA Draft, where Betts is projected to be a top-five pick.
