Swanson: UCLA’s Lauren Betts is a great player – and more than that too

LOS ANGELES — This doesn’t seem like something Lauren Betts would say, she’s much too nice.

But I will: Cry, haters. You dummies.

Lately, Betts – the UCLA women’s basketball team’s 6-foot-7 All-American junior center – has been sharing her story with the world. She told reporters from ESPN and Sports Illustrated what it was like to grow up as an exceptionally tall girl, 6 feet tall in middle school and 6-5 by the time she reached high school.

How she was teased and made fun of and bullied. How even today people comment on her height as if she can’t hear them, or take selfies of themselves standing in front of her without even asking her – as if she’s an architectural marvel and not a human being with working ears.

And how that took a toll over the years, ate away at her confidence.

Lately, though, the 21-year-old from Centennial, Colorado, has been the self-assured center of attention capable of giving confidence. Because the Bruins can walk onto the court every game knowing they have Lauren Betts and nobody else does.

And Betts is the ultimate break-in-case-of-emergency weapon.

A human cheat code the Bruins can spam whenever they’re in a jam.

An all-time great at a school known for giving us all-time greats – that’s according to former Lakers great-turned broadcaster Mychal Thompson, who watched Sunday night’s game and then shared his UCLA center rankings on social media: “1) Kareem… 2) Walton… 3) Lauren Betts…”

Betts’ reaction: “That’s just crazy. Thank you.”

I wouldn’t dare diminish her magnificent 30-point, 14-rebound, four-assist, two-block performance in UCLA’s rousing 84-67 second-round NCAA Tournament victory over Richmond on Sunday by calling it a revenge game of any sort.

But, dang, was it cold. And it sure was sweet.

UCLA is on its way back to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive season because it found another gear after going into halftime tied 36-36 on Sunday. Because the Bruins executed Coach Cori Close’s adjustments. Because of a dream third period when the Bruins both caught fire and doused the hot-shooting Spiders, outscoring them 29-7. Because Kiki Rice hit a career-high four 3-pointers.

And because all of those factors complemented – or were made possible – by Betts.

“We really didn’t have an answer for her,” Richmond’s Addie Budnik said. “Obviously.

“It’s tough to guard her down there,” she continued. “If you front it, she’s going to throw it over. If you’re behind, she’s going to bury you. So she really took advantage of that.”

Said Rice: “As a point guard, knowing that I can throw the ball up to Lauren, I think one of the best things about her is her hands and how she catches every pass. Lauren makes the game easy for everyone.”

Proficient box-score readers can tell you: Sometimes, especially in well-contested games, it all comes down to which team went to the free-throw line most, or hit its 3s, or scored more points off turnovers.

Or, in UCLA’s case, which team had Lauren Betts; she was 14 for 17 from the field in a game when the rest of her teammates finished 18 for 53.

Richmond is fortunate the Bruins didn’t go to Betts even more often.

“An absolute generational player,” Close said of Betts, the unanimous Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, who capably patrolled the paint and the perimeter against the normally adept-scoring Spiders, helping disrupt their offense while avoiding foul trouble (she was charged with just one in 32 minutes).

“She is not just a low-post player,” Close added. “I mean, watch her move out there. The way that she guarded and switched … the way that she chased people at 6-7 – and she’s really 6-8 by the way. Just an elite player. She has basketball IQ. She’s incredibly competitive. She affects the game in so many ways on offense and defense. The list goes on and on.”

And it’s topped, Close said, by Betts being brave enough to open up about the times in her life that left her feeling small.

“That the biggest difference you’re seeing in her performance out there is that she doesn’t only see herself as a basketball player anymore,” Close said. “And because of that, because her identity is not only as a basketball player anymore, she’s actually freed up to master her craft at a different level.”

She’s operating on the level that won’t soon be forgotten, especially not by the teams whose paths cross hers.

“She had a hell of a night,” Richmond’s Budnik said. “And she’s going to continue to do that throughout the tournament.”