Lauren Betts, a senior center from UCLA, has been named the Honda Sport Award winner for Basketball for the Class of 2026, as announced today by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.

The announcement comes during a landmark moment for the organization, as the CWSA celebrates its 50th anniversary during the 2025-26 collegiate athletics season. For five decades, the Honda Sport Award has honored the nation’s top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports, symbolizing “the best of the best in collegiate athletics.” Betts is now a finalist for the prestigious Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and Class of 2026 Honda Cup, to be presented live on Monday, July 27, at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.

Betts was selected via a nationwide vote of administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. The other finalists for this year’s award were Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt), Madison Booker (Texas) and Sarah Strong (UConn).

“I’m super honored to receive this award, none of it would be possible without my amazing teammates and coaches,” said Betts. “I’m very grateful!”

Betts, a senior center from Centennial, Colorado, delivered one of the most dominant seasons in UCLA Bruins women's basketball history, leading the program to its first NCAA Championship title. Anchoring the Bruins on both ends of the floor, Betts recorded 14 points and 11 rebounds in the national title game and was named the 2026 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player.

A finalist for the 2026 Wade Trophy, Naismith Trophy, and Wooden Award, Betts earned WBCA First Team All-America honors for the second time in her career while continuing to redefine excellence at her position. She was named the 2026 Big Ten Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in conference history to claim both honors in the same season. A three-time Lisa Leslie Center of the Year and three-time All-Conference First Team selection, Betts consistently set the standard for dominance in the paint.

Betts also made history during the NCAA Regionals, becoming UCLA’s all-time leading shot blocker while earning Regional Most Outstanding Player honors. She closed the season averaging 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.05 blocks per game and is a three-time All-Conference Defensive Team and All-Tournament Team selection.

“We’re just really proud of Lauren,” stated Cori Close, The Michael Price Family UCLA women's head basketball coach. “To be the second person in UCLA history to receive this award, to join Annie Meyers Drysdale, is so special and a pretty big deal. Lauren is such an amazing young woman and has earned so much, on and off the court.”

As the CWSA marks its 50th anniversary, the organization continues its longstanding mission to honor excellence in athletics, leadership, academics, and community service. Since 1986, Honda has contributed more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to support women’s athletics programs nationwide.

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/.