UCLA's Lauren Betts hopes fans give Texas star Madison Booker 'a little bit of grace'
· Yahoo Sports
As her team prepped in Phoenix for the national championship game on Saturday, UCLA center Lauren Betts rallied behind Texas women's basketball star Madison Booker.
Visit asg-reflektory.pl for more information.
Booker's play in a 51-44 loss to UCLA in Friday's Final Four game has become the subject of criticism since the Longhorns' season ended. A junior forward, Booker shot 3-for-23 from the field and was held to just a season-low six points in the seven-point setback. With Texas trailing by three points in the final minute, Booker also had a shot blocked by the 6-foot-7 Betts.
Texas All-American forward Madison Booker (left) and UCLA All-American center Lauren Betts seen in a collage. (Getty Images)One day later, Betts was asked a question about using her size to stymie Booker and the Texas offense. Before giving her answer, Betts took a moment to both praise and defend Booker.
"She's such an amazing player," said Betts, who had 16 points and 11 rebounds against the Longhorns. "I don't want yesterday to take over the fact that she's had an amazing season. I've seen a lot of the stuff that she's getting right now. She really doesn't deserve it all. I wish everybody would give her a little bit of grace because she's a human at the end of the day."
More:Why did Texas PG Rori Harmon stick up for Madison Booker after UCLA loss?
This season, Betts and Booker were two of the five first-team honorees on the Associated Press' All-American team. Betts recently won the Lisa Leslie Award, which is given to college basketball's top center, while Booker secured her third Cheryl Miller Award, which goes to the country's top small forward.
With one game against South Carolina left on the schedule, Betts is averaging 17.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. Booker led Texas in both scoring (18.9 points per game) and rebounding (6.7 per game) this season.