The half picture of the 2026 WNBA draft is clear. The Dallas Wings won the first overall pick after much speculation, while the Lynx landed the second overall pick, courtesy of their trade with the Chicago Sky in 2024. Now, with scouting in progress, there are a few top candidates for the second overall pick, including UCLA’s superstar Lauren Betts.
One of the top picks in the 2026 WNBA draft class, the forward was first overall pick in earlier predictions. The draft lottery result impacted her position; her slow start to the season also played a significant role in her drop from the top position.
Minnesota Lynx Scout Lauren Betts Ahead Of 2026 WNBA Draft
The WNBA teams are now intensifying their scouting with their draft positions already clear. The deep 2026 WNBA draft class provides them a lot of ‘work’ as they scout each and every player suiting their style of play.
During the UCLA vs. Texas game, which was a clash of the titans for the 2025-26 season, two people in the stands caught the attention of the crowd – Cheryl Reeves and Danielle Robinson. As per reports, the Lynx could go for the UCL’s 6-foot-7 center.
Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve just arrived alongside Sparks assistant coach Danielle Robinson to #3 UCLA vs #4 Texas
— No Cap Space WBB (@NoCapSpaceWBB) November 26, 2025
UCLA’s Lauren Betts certainly a real possibility for the Lynx at #2 pic.twitter.com/4QW4UBpY02
In the game against Texas Tech, she managed eight points, with seven rebounds and three assists, as the Bruins suffered their first loss of the season. The 2025 Naismith Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year had been the top prospect from the beginning. Although she had a slow start to the season, the player consistently showcased her abilities throughout.
Scroll to continue reading
Trending WNBA News
It is important to note that even though Betts lost her top spot in the draft projections, she is still one of the brightest names from the class. While she is yet to find her rhythm and make an impact on the games as she did in the 2024-25 season, the star certainly earned a major boost from the national team call-up.
Lauren Betts Gets Invitation To Team USA Training Camp
Team USA will start preparations for the FBA World Cup qualifiers on December 12. The three-day training camp will take place in Durham, at Duke University, as the team has released a list of 18 players invited to the camp. Despite having many top names from the WNBA league, the team also added two college stars to the list – Lauren Betts and Juju Watkins.
The 🇺🇸 #USABWNT Is Back‼️
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) November 24, 2025
18 athletes will attend training camp Dec. 12-14 in Durham, North Carolina. pic.twitter.com/qp4lK9rOXq
Betts represented Team USA in U-16 and U-19 events, where she won two gold medals and a silver medal. The UCLA star is one of 10 players who will be playing at the senior level for the first time.
Now with the USA call-up and WNBA draft scouting, the talented center must step up her offensive game and live up to the expectations.