UCLA’s Lauren Betts Earns Honda Cup; Named Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year

Lauren Betts (Centennial, Colo.), a senior center from the UCLA basketball team, was named the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and presented with the prestigious Honda Cup during the 50th anniversary broadcast of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda. Airing live on CBS Sports Network from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City, the event brought together generations of past Honda Cup winners in one of the largest gatherings of elite women collegiate athletes from the past half-century. The celebration honored 50 years of recognizing the “best of the best” in collegiate athletics and marked Honda’s 40th year as the program’s presenting sponsor and longtime champion of women’s collegiate athletics.

Betts was selected from the CWSA Class of 2026 Top Three, which also included Pittsburgh volleyball star Olivia Babcock and Nebraska softball standout Jordyn Frahm. The Top Three were determined by votes from nearly 1,000 NCAA member schools, with the final Honda Cup recipient selected by the CWSA Board of Directors.

Betts becomes the 17th basketball player to earn the Honda Cup, more than any other sport in the award’s history. She joins an elite group of basketball recipients that includes Ann Meyers (1978), Nancy Lieberman (1979), Cheryl Miller (1984), Kamie Ethridge (1986), Teresa Weatherspoon (1988), Dawn Staley (1991), Rebecca Lobo (1995), Jennifer Rizzotti (1996), Chamique Holdsclaw (1998), Jackie Stiles (2001), Candace Parker (2008), Maya Moore (2010, 2011), Brittney Griner (2012), Breanna Stewart (2016), Aliyah Boston (2022) and Caitlin Clark (2023, 2024).

“On behalf of Honda, congratulations to 2026 Honda Cup winner Lauren Betts and the outstanding Collegiate Women Sports Awards Class of 2026,” said Elly Bradford, Chief Inclusion and Impact Officer, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards and 40 years of Honda’s partnership, we are proud to support women student-athletes as they pursue their dreams and inspire future generations.”

Betts capped one of the most dominant seasons in UCLA women’s basketball history by leading the Bruins to the program’s first NCAA Championship. A force on both ends of the floor, the senior recorded 14 points and 11 rebounds in the national championship game and was named the 2026 NCAA Women’s Final Four Most Outstanding Player.

A finalist for the Wade Trophy, Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award, Betts earned WBCA First Team All-America honors for the second time in her career. She was also named the 2026 Big Ten Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in conference history to earn both honors in the same season. A three-time Lisa Leslie Center of the Year, Betts added another milestone during the NCAA Regionals when she became UCLA’s all-time leader in blocked shots while earning Regional Most Outstanding Player honors. She finished the season averaging 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.1 blocks per game.

Following her historic collegiate season, Betts was selected fourth overall by the Washington Mystics in the 2026 WNBA Draft, becoming the first UCLA player selected in a record-setting draft that saw five Bruins chosen in the first round and six overall. Now in her rookie season with Washington, the 6-foot-7 center has become a regular contributor for the Mystics, averaging 6.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Most recently, Betts added another honor to her remarkable year, receiving the 2026 ESPY Award for Best College Athlete, Women’s Sports.

“There is something incredibly special about watching another extraordinary young woman join the legacy of this award,” said Chris Voelz, Executive Director of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards. “Lauren has distinguished herself among the very best in collegiate athletics, and she represents the excellence, determination and character that have defined CWSA honorees for five decades. To present the Honda Cup during our 50th anniversary, with so many of the remarkable women who came before her here to welcome her into this sisterhood, is a fitting celebration of both our history and our future.”

The Collegiate Women Sports Awards presented by Honda will re-air on CBS Sports Network on Tuesday, July 28 (2:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 6:00 PM), Wednesday, July 29 (1:00 AM, 6:00 PM), and Thursday, July 30 (10:00 AM). All times Eastern.

Celebrating its 50th year, the CWSA continues to honor the nation’s top female collegiate athletes for excellence in athletics, leadership, academics, and community service. Since partnering with Honda in 1986, the program has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants, strengthening and advancing women’s athletics programs nationwide.

About the Collegiate Women Sports Awards
For 50 years, the Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) has celebrated “the best of the best of collegiate athletics.” Founded in 1976, the CWSA recognizes the nation’s top NCAA women student-athletes for excellence in competition, academics, leadership, and service. Each year, the organization presents the Honda Sport Award in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports, the Honda Inspiration Award, NCAA Division II and Division III Honda Athlete of the Year honors and culminates with the presentation of the prestigious Honda Cup to the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. Since 1986, Honda has proudly served as the presenting sponsor, creating one of the longest-running corporate partnerships in women’s collegiate athletics. Today, the CWSA continues to honor generations of extraordinary women whose accomplishments inspire excellence both on and off the field of play.

Learn more at https://www.collegiatewomensportsawards.com/landing/index.

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility and the Honda USA Foundation
For more than 65 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. The company’s mission is to create products and services that help people fulfill their life’s potential, while conducting business in a sustainable manner and fostering an inclusive workplace. Advancing its corporate social responsibility, Honda and the Honda USA Foundation support this direction through giving focused on education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety, and community.

Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/