Ex-No. 1 recruit Lauren Betts enters transfer portal after 1st season with Stanford
Lauren Betts, the No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2022, has entered the transfer portal after one season with Stanford, according to ESPN.
The 6-foot-7 big out of Colorado entered Palo Alto with big expectations, but saw limited minutes during her freshman season under Stanford head coach Tara VanderVeer. Betts finished this season averaging 5.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 9.6 minutes per game, ranking 10th on the team in total minutes.
That season ended in disappointment, with Stanford getting bounced in the second round of March Madness as a No. 1 seed by Ole Miss. The Cardinal went 29-6 and won a share of the Pac-12 regular season championship, but were stunned by UCLA in the semifinals of the conference tournament.
Stanford was expected to compete for another title next season despite the loss of All-American Haley Jones, and the tandem of Betts and former Pac-12 co-Player of the Year Cameron Brink in the paint was a big reason why.
Per WUNC's Mitchell Northam, Betts is the first No. 1 recruit to transfer schools since Elena Delle Donne, who left Connecticut without playing a game and played four seasons at Delaware before being selected second overall in the 2013 WNBA draft.
The question now becomes where Betts will end up, and there is no shortage of programs who could use her size in the post.
After news of Betts' transfer broke, speculation quickly built around Iowa as a potential destination. Hawkeye Report's Kyle Huesmann noted Betts played with Iowa rising junior Addison O'Grady in high school and with reigning National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark on the USA Under-19 team. The Hawkeyes also lost their top frontcourt players Monica Czinano and McKenna Warnock to graduation after reaching the national championship game this year.
Betts will have plenty of options, though, so we'll see who makes the best pitch.
