UCLA star Lauren Betts exited her team’s championship game against the South Carolina Gamecocks with a concerning injury involving issues with her throat.
The Bruins’ center left in the first quarter, heading to the bench, where she appeared to be trying to choke up something, and telling someone next to her, “something’s in my throat.” ABC and ESPN’s cameras showed Betts, on the bench, continuing to motion to her throat and using a towel while bending her head forward.
As the game continued, ESPN didn’t seem to have any explanation for why the UCLA star left the game, but continued to discuss her absence in the biggest game of the season.
Video footage on ABC and ESPN later showed Betts using an inhaler and being checked on by someone on her team’s bench throughout the scary situation.
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Despite her early exit, her team still managed to outplay South Carolina, extending their lead to 21-10. In a great sign for UCLA, Betts returned to the game with over 8:30 left in the second quarter, as her team continued to hold a double-digit lead.
Betts averaged 17.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game this season for UCLA and was crucial in their March Madness run.
She had a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds against Duke in the Elite Eight round, followed by 16 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks in her team’s 51-44 win over Texas in the Final Four.
UCLA initially entered the game as the underdog team, but controlled the game against the Gamecocks in much of the first half. As of this writing, Betts had six points and six rebounds with her team leading by 11 points and under three minutes remaining in the first half.
Update 4/5/26 4:32 p.m. EST: Betts explained her injury situation before halftime. “I don’t know what’s going on. I think it’s really dry out here in Phoenix, so I just had something stuck. I’m good,” Betts told ESPN’s Holly Rowe in an interview on the court.
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