TAMPA, Fla. — The best two players left in March Madness are competing in Friday’s second game of the Final Four: UCLA has 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts, and UConn has sensation Paige Bueckers. Through the first four rounds of the NCAA Tournament, neither has faced a one-on-one matchup that has truly stopped them.
Led by UCLA’s Cori Close, coaching in her first Final Four, and UConn’s Geno Auriemma, coaching in his 24th, these teams are very different. Which is why enlisted the help of coaches who saw them firsthand.
As the Bruins and Huskies gear up for a game that could go either way, multiple coaches who coached against them this season weighed in. They were granted anonymity so they could speak with candor.
Scouting UCLA
Strengths: Betts, depth in scoring options, physicality
It all starts with Betts, who averages 20 points and 9.6 rebounds per game and has gone for at least 30 points in two of her last three games. Even on an “off” night when she got into foul trouble and sat out for much of the second quarter against LSU in the Elite Eight, she still finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and six blocks, including two in the first 10 seconds of the game. Just this week, she was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.
“Obviously, Lauren Betts’ efficiency, her ability to affect both sides of the floor, nobody else has that,” one coach said. “That is the difference-maker.”
“Usually when you see 6-foot-7, there’s only so much you can do defensively to stop her,” said another coach. “She really is capable of moving laterally, guarding one-on-one and guarding off-the-ball screens better than most 6-foot-2 posts.”
That’s not to say Betts is UCLA’s only hope, though. One of her greatest qualities, one coach said, is her willingness as a passer. With guards who aren’t afraid to shoot, UCLA can challenge teams inside and out. Junior guard Gabriela Jaquez had 18 points against the Tigers and went 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Junior forward Timea Gardiner had 15, knocking down 5-of-8 3-pointers.
“The thing that makes them so very, very difficult to beat is they just have great length and size,” one coach said. “And with that great length and size, they could all shoot the basketball.”
The Bruins are also physical, one coach said, which could work in their favor depending on how the game is called.
“Nobody wants to talk about this, but that’s where officiating comes into play,” the coach said. “What’s going to be allowed? What’s not going to be allowed? If the game is allowed to be physical, the advantage is gonna be UCLA.”
Her name is Lauren Betts, and she’s our 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 DPOY 🤫
🗞️: https://t.co/m5PUds1r8n
#GoBruinspic.twitter.com/AEEfXsMPgf— UCLA Women’s Basketball (@UCLAWBB) April 2, 2025
Weaknesses: Outside shooting
UCLA doesn’t attempt many 3s. The Bruins’ 21.1 attempts from beyond the arc rank No. 117 nationally. Jaquez and Gardiner were dominant against the Tigers, which could be a good sign for UCLA. But that’s not the norm for the Bruins, whose 33.7 3-point percentage ranks 78th nationally. UConn, by comparison, is a top-10 team from deep, knocking down 38.3 percent.
“If they play as good as they can play, then they win the national championship,” one coach said of the Bruins. “But I think with their outside shooting, if Londynn (Jones) and Timea and Kiki (Rice) are all off, they can lose.”
Gardiner is UCLA’s top ...
