Letting Sienna be Sienna: How UCLA's freshman is blazing her own trail in March Madness

SACRAMENTO. Calif. - The most special storyline in what’s been a narrative-rich UCLA season has been the connection of the Betts sisters, senior Lauren and freshman Sienna.

Lauren Betts has been an icon in the NCAA world since especially last season, when she truly burst onto the scene as UCLA’s dominant center and possibly the most unstoppable player in the sport, instrumental in taking UCLA to the Final Four. Betts has been adding to her trophy shelf this season, too. Big Ten Player and Defensive Player of the Year, All-Big Ten First Team, Big Ten All-Defensive Team and AP All-American selections are just some of the feathers in her cap. 

Adapting to the program

Then, of course, there’s Sienna Betts. The freshman forward came to UCLA as one of the most highly touted players in her recruiting class and after starting the season over a month late due to injury, Betts took some time to get into the swing of things with the Bruins, but has since found her stride and continued to impress, earning herself Big Ten All-Freshmen Team honors. 

“It’s hard when there’s a lot of seniors around you and they’ve been playing with each other for a while. So, as a freshman, any freshman who’s on this team, it’s a lot of adjusting,” Betts said after defeating Oklahoma State. “It’s okay because you’re learning and growing a lot and it’s going to benefit you for the future. I think I’m… learning to fit into the role I have here.”

Now that she’s playing more regularly as an integral part of UCLA’s second core coming off the bench, she’s set herself up for even more special moments with her sister. Often this season the pair would be subbed out for each other, with the announcer at Pauley Pavilion speaking with delight that Betts was coming in for Betts. 

 “I love the moments you catch when they have a connection and an eye contact or a smile that’s different than everyone else’s because they’re sharing it as sisters. And I just think how special is that?” head coach Cori Close said after UCLA’s victory over Cal Baptist. 

Maintaining individuality

As sisters, there is a delicate balance when managing them. The fun that comes with them playing together is obvious, but there’s also the matter of making sure they can feel like separate players, too. 

That’s more of the principle issue for Sienna in Close’s eyes. She’s coming into a program that her sister is not only established in, but has had one of the best careers in school history with. Close wants to make sure that Betts freshman season is about what her growth can be, not just about the fact that there are two Betts on the roster. 

“It’s this weird thing; on the one hand, I want them to enjoy this connection they have. I want them to enjoy this year,” Close said. “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's doing. That’s sort of a fine line. I call it the healthy tension I’m trying to find."

When it comes to the elder Betts, she’s continually supported Sienna’s growth. The most recent example being UCLA’s win against Cal Baptist, where the Betts sisters shared another special moment by both recording double-doubles. 

She knows her sister better than anybody on the team and knew what her goals were going into this season. Defense was at the top of that list, especially with Sienna adjusting to the pace of college basketball. 

“I’m really happy for her, really happy for her growth… I thought her defense was a lot better today, I know that’s something that she wanted to get better in,” Betts said. “She was just really proud of her slides, she didn’t really say anything about her points.”

Sienna is hard on herself too. Throughout this season she’s described herself as a perfectionist that’s always trying to improve. 

Close has advised her to give herself more grace and promoted patience, which are traits that Betts has picked up over the course of the season and now with the development coming along, she’s been able to marry the mental and physical sides of the game.

“Just being patient with myself and just feeling comfort with the role I have with this team and knowing that’s okay and knowing it’s helping for the future,” Betts said during a media availability. “I think physically… I think I’ve grown a lot in my rebounding and dictating shots and switching onto these little, fast guards."

Letting Sienna be Sienna

With the Betts sisters, one stellar career is coming to an end this season while another is just beginning. The Bruins are in for a major rebuild with six seniors, Lauren included, graduating this year. 

The future will be in Sienna’s hands after that. Close knows that more than anyone. She sees the value and the growth of her freshman forward and she needs her to keep both of those things up. Not just to uphold the legacy of her family name, but to build one for herself.

“I want Sienna to feel like she’s Sienna. She’s not Lauren’s sister. She can enjoy that, but for our team, she’s Sienna Betts,” Close said. “And I have an expectation of her growth and her journey and she’s doing a great job on that.”