With simply over 5 minutes left in UCLA’s first-round win over California Baptist on Saturday, freshman Sienna Betts took a shot. She missed. She grabbed the rebound. She missed once more. Then, she put it within the basket.
On the bench, her older sister, Lauren Betts, was laughing. No. 1 seed UCLA was up huge late, the Bruins have been going to advance and Lauren was getting pleasure from seeing her sister succeed — and fail.
“I’m like, Sienna, just make the shot, and she’s laughing; she’s not serious,” Lauren stated.
The sisters recorded double-doubles throughout the 96-43 win that secured the Bruins a second-round date with Oklahoma State. Sienna had 10 factors and 12 rebounds, six of them offensive, and Lauren had 22 factors and 10 rebounds.
UCLA freshman ahead Sienna Betts performs tight protection on California Baptist guard Sofia Alonso throughout the Bruins’ first spherical NCAA event win Sunday at Pauley Pavilion.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
“She is so hard on herself and she’s so driven, I think her humor is actually a saving grace for her,” UCLA coach Cori Close stated of Sienna. “It’s sort of a light moment. It’s laughter. Because when she’s not smiling and bringing joy, she’s usually beating herself up for a mistake. As she continues to grow in that, I hope it doesn’t have to be her escape, but I just have absolutely enjoyed Sienna so much.”
The sisters have solely this season to play collectively earlier than Lauren, a senior, graduates. They performed only one season collectively in highschool in Colorado, and this season is likely to be the final time they’re ever on the identical group.
“It’s this weird thing, on the one hand, I want them to enjoy this connection they have,” Close stated. “I want them to enjoy this year. They will look back on this year and just really treasure it.
“Simultaneously, I want to especially treat Sienna on her own journey, and to not make her feel like she’s in the shadows of anything that Lauren is doing.”
Sisters have posted double-doubles within the NCAA event earlier than. At Stanford, Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike did it a number of occasions within the early 2010s. In the Eighties, USC twins Pamela and Paula McGee averaged double-double their senior years.
But it’s a rarity, and one that might solely occur this season for the UCLA sisters.
Sienna, although, didn’t need to make an enormous deal of it. Sitting to the facet within the locker room after the win over California Baptist, she was vital of her personal recreation, simply the best way Close anticipated.
“I’m trying to focus more on just that game and just taking what we can learn from our mistakes in the first half, especially, and trying to move on,” Sienna stated. “But, I mean, I think in an hour, I’ll take that in and be more excited about that.”
Lauren stated she thought Sienna performed one among her higher video games of the season.
“Honestly, besides her scoring, I thought her defense was a lot better today and I know that’s something she wanted to get better at,” Lauren stated Saturday. “She was just really proud of her slides. Like she didn’t say anything about her points. She was like, I’m so glad that I can guard them. I worked so hard on that.”
Sienna has had back-to-back sturdy efforts, with 14 factors towards Iowa within the Big Ten event championship recreation two weeks in the past. She has accomplished so with out being hounded by her huge sister.
“I think [Lauren] respects my boundary to figure it out on my own,” she stated.
Lauren, in the meantime, has averaged 16.5 factors and 8.7 rebounds per contest this season. The projected WNBA lottery choose is taken into account among the best facilities within the nation.
UCLA middle Lauren Betts drives to the basket beneath strain from California Baptist ahead Grace Schmidt throughout the NCAA event on Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
“I love the moments you catch when they have a connection and an eye contact or a smile that is different than everybody else because they are sharing it as sisters and I just think how special that is,” Close stated. “That’s so wonderful.”
Charlisse Leger-Walker performed together with her sister, Krystal Leger-Walker, at Washington State for two seasons. There, the duo shared time within the backcourt for an up-and-coming Cougars squad.
“It’s just a different connection,” Charlisse Leger-Walker stated. “Out there, you have someone who is your blood and unconditional love and support. And it’s just awesome to be able to see [Lauren and Sienna] in their journey, and have so much success early.”
Sienna will carry the torch for the Bruins past this season when nearly all of the veteran roster graduates and many go professional.
That’s when she might be the face of this system on her personal. But first, she is working to lengthen an NCAA event run alongside her sister.
“I want Sienna to feel like she’s Sienna,” Close stated. “She’s not Lauren’s sister. She can enjoy that, but for our team, she’s Sienna Betts.”
