The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and that’s certainly the case with Sienna Betts. ESPN’s No. 2 player in the class of 2025 is UCLA bound, but she is far from the first one in her family to achieve success in the athletic world. Her sister, Lauren, is an All-American senior at UCLA. He brother, Dylan, is a 7-foot-2 five star player in the class of 2028. Her mother, Michelle, was a national champion volleyball player. And her father, Andrew, was a second round pick of the Charlotte Hornets before embarking on a remarkably successful European career, which certainly helped shape her life.
“I grew up watching him play. We are a basketball family. My Mom was also an athlete (she was a volleyball player at Long Beach State),” Betts enthusiastically said of the impact that her family has had on her trajectory. “I think that I am least of a post of my siblings, but he’s got great notes and is such a great basketball Dad. You see those crazy basketball Dads, but he’s so supportive and has such great notes. He’s made me the person and player that I have become.”
It hasn’t all been roses for the Betts family, though. Despite being the consensus top player in the class of 2022, her older sister Lauren came off of the bench for Stanford as a freshman and played only 9.7 minutes per game. She made the transfer to UCLA for her sophomore campaign and immediately became an All Pac-12 player as a sophomore, then a John Wooden Finalist as a junior. Now, as a senior, she is the projected #1 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. Lauren’s experiences at the college level served as an invaluable learning opportunity when it came to making a college decision for the younger Betts.
“I think seeing her experience at Stanford really helped me a lot. It really helped me know what to look for when picking a school. I am obviously sad that she had to go through that, but I wanted to go to UCLA first,” she said of the education that she received through observing her sister and choice to join her at UCLA. “I think that we had the same taste and I am really glad that the UCLA coaches really care about the players as people, not just as a part of the system.’
Heading to play for the Bruins has brought no shortage of opportunities off the floor, as well. The wild world that is the NIL space has proved fruitful for Betts. Signed with William Morris Entertainment, she already inked deals with companies such as Venmo, Gorjana, and Unrivaled, amongst others. While it seems unheard of for players to sign with agents prior to playing a college game, her decision proved to be the right move.
“I wanted to go into the college level and be prepared for what was coming,” the 18-year old told Ballislife of her decision to sign with WME in high school. “The NIL world is just growing and it’s crazy to be a college athlete right now, so I am really happy that they are getting me set up.”
As far as accolades are concerned, there aren’t many that Betts hasn’t acheived. Three consecutive Colorado state championships at Grandview High School. Three gold medals with USA Basketball. Three time Gatorade Player of The Year in Colorado. Morgan Wooten National Girls Player of The Year. McDonald’s All American Game MVP.
While that is an absolutely legendary list of accomplishments, she says she is most proud of throughout her high school is going to surprise you.
“I am most proud of my progress. For me it was about growing mentally,” the deep thinking forward expounded. “Confidence is the biggest part of basketball. You can have all the skill in the world, but if you don’t have confidence, it doesn’t mean anything.”
Lauren’s game and mentality should give her plenty of confidence. At 6-foot-4 with a long wingspan, she is exactly what you look for in a new age forward in today’s game. The lefty is a comfortable shooter out to the 3-point line, punishes smaller forwards with her super quick spin moves on the block, and has her head on a swivel when double teams come. Patterning her game after Nikola Jokic, she has already shown the ability to facilitate for others. On the defensive end, she has the length and versatility to get out and switch while also making an impact on the interior.
However, Betts wanted to make it clear that she feels that the biggest impact that she is going to make at UCLA isn’t going to be anything that shows up in the box score.
“I think that I impact the people around me with the decisions that I make on offense. I have a high I.Q. and am a general on defense. I am communicating and people can always see behind them because of my communication.”
