Why was UCLA women’s basketball star Lauren Betts briefly sidelined during 1st half vs. South Carolina?

As the UCLA women’s basketball team beat Texas in the Final Four to advance to the national championship game against South Carolina, there’s no denying that star Lauren Betts is leading the way. While Betts achieves various feats with the UCLA women’s basketball team, she looks to do it in the national title game, though she had to be sidelined for a strange reason.

Betts would get taken out of the first quarter in the national championship game against South Carolina, as she could be seen on the bench saying that something had been stuck in her throat. Whether she meant that there was something in her throat or it felt like so, the training staff of the Bruins would go out of their way to give her an inhaler, which appeared to be the trick, and she was back in the game in the second period.

“UCLA star Lauren Betts was taken out in the 1st quarter of the National Championship after telling the bench that she had something stuck in her throat,” the ClutchPoints account on X, formerly Twitter, wrote. “UCLA staff gave her an inhaler and examined Betts until she returned to the game in the 2nd quarter.”

UCLA star Lauren Betts was taken out in the 1st quarter of the National Championship after telling the bench that she had something stuck in her throat.

UCLA staff gave her an inhaler and examined Betts until she returned to the game in the 2nd quarter pic.twitter.com/DARePwbygf

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 5, 2026

UCLA women’s basketball star Lauren Betts and her impact

This is no doubt a sigh of relief for the UCLA women’s basketball team and the fanbase as Betts would return at the start of the second half, where the Bruins had a 36-23 lead over the Gamecocks. At the half, Betts had six points on three of six shooting from the field to go along with seven rebounds in 14 minutes of action.

Betts has been the anchor to the UCLA women’s basketball team this season and beyond as she has averaged 17.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 58.2 percent from the field

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