It was a magical Sunday for the UCLA Bruins and their star Lauren Betts.<\/p>\n
After three years of playing with the Bruins, Betts and a senior-led lineup prevailed in a do-or-die matchup against the South Carolina Gamecocks in their last chance to lift a national championship before moving to the WNBA.<\/p>\n
It was an emotional afternoon for the Bruins, who got ahead early and never looked back, with every point in their two Final Four victories coming from the team’s seniors.<\/p>\n
While in a few weeks they will all be rivals, many of them selected in the upcoming WNBA Draft, Sunday was a day of celebration for the dominant Bruins, who lost only a single game during the season to Texas, a team they avenged in the semifinals.<\/p>\n
As the team held up their NCAA<\/a> women’s championship, the first in school history, Betts was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament.<\/p>\n The crowd filled with Bruins supporters who made the quick trip to Phoenix cheered, but Betts had a question during what was supposed to be one of the bigger moments of her face.<\/p>\n “Do we have a trophy for that?”<\/p>\n More news: <\/strong>What UCLA Did After Winning the National Title Is Turning Heads<\/a><\/p>\n More news: <\/strong>Michigan Under Fire for \u2018Bought\u2019 Roster Ahead of National Title vs UConn<\/a><\/p>\n The odd moment perplexed the internet, with fans quick to wonder why the women didn’t have a trophy for the tournament’s best player to hoist at the end of the event.<\/p>\n “Yeah, that was beyond bizarre,” said a women’s basketball fan on social media<\/a>. “But handled as gracefully as possible. Way to go UCLA!!!<\/p>\n “That was inexcusable,” chimed in another frustrated viewer<\/a>. “Really pathetic.”<\/p>\n “Well, 2 yrs ago the Women\u2019s Final Four barely had locker rooms, weight rooms or practice facilities,” added another fan on X<\/a>. “While the men had whatever they needed. Not surprised they didn\u2019t have a trophy for the Women\u2019s Final Four [Most Outstanding Player].”<\/p>\n Individual trophy or not, Betts will be the face people remember a decade from now when talking about UCLA’s golden season. She now has a week to celebrate before her, and many of her teammates will be in New York City for the 2026 WNBA Draft, where Betts is projected to be a top-five pick.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.newsweek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2269735279.jpg?w=640&quality=80&webp=1)