​Lauren Betts was presented with the 2026 ESPY for Best College Athlete in Women’s Sports in New York on Wednesday, July 15.Betts helped lead the UCLA women’s basketball team to its first NCAA Tournament championship.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Bruins defeated coach Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks 79-51 in Phoenix on April 5, 2026. Betts produced a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds for UCLA in the title game. She also had two blocks.Former UCLA basketball star Lauren Betts accepts the Best College Athlete, Women’s Sports award onstage during the 2026 ESPY Awards.Betts has spoken openly in the past about her battles with depression and used the opportunity on stage to speak about it further after receiving the award from Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo and rapper French Montana.“Your mental health is not separate from your success,” Betts said. “It is the foundation of everything that you do. The strongest people aren’t the ones who never struggle; they’re the ones who have the courage to let someone walk through the struggle with them.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJust days after winning the title, Betts went 4th overall in the WNBA draft to the Washington Mystics. Two of her teammates, Gabriela Jaquez and Kiki Rice, were drafted directly after her at No. 5 by the Chicago Sky and No. 6 by the Toronto Tempo, respectively.1 / 6The Savannah Bananas perform onstage during the 2026 ESPY Awards. Top athletes, musicians and Hollywood stars will gather to recognize the best from the past year in sports on Wednesday, July 15 for ESPN’s 2026 ESPYs.
Hosted by comedian Marcello Hernandez, ESPN’s annual sports awards show brings together people from across the sports landscape to celebrate the top athletes, plays and moments from the last year. Traditionally held in Los Angeles, the awards show was moved to the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York this year.
People who have made significant contributions to their sport and community are also honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, the Pat Tillman Award for Service and the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.(Mike Coppola, Getty Images)Teammate Angela Dugalic was also drafted by the Mystics with the 9th overall pick. Gianna Kneepkens was drafted by the Connecticut Sun at the end of the first round with the 15th overall pick.UCLA set a record with five first-round picks in the WNBA draft.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former UCLA star Lauren Betts wins ESPY, shares important message about mental health