UCLA star Lauren Betts’ status uncertain after sitting out win over Duke with arm injury

LAS VEGAS (AP) — UCLA coach Cori Close was uncertain how long the Bruins might be without AP preseason All-American Lauren Betts, who missed Thursday night’s 89-59 victory over Duke in the third-place game of the Players Era Championship.

Betts sat out with a left arm injury. One night earlier, Texas’ Madison Booker stripped the ball from Betts during a battle for possession and the two fell awkwardly. Betts’ left arm buckled beneath Booker, and the UCLA star briefly exited the game and went straight to the locker room.

Betts returned to the court but finished with a season-low eight points for the third-ranked Bruins.

“Believe me, it wasn’t the news I wanted,” Close said about hearing from her medical staff that the best thing was to rest Betts against Duke. “We were trying to test some things to see if we thought she could go, and our medical staff was just like, ‘No, it’s not wise.'”

Betts is averaging 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds through seven games this season.

Close said she was unsure if Betts will be available for Sunday’s showdown with No. 14 Tennessee at Pauley Pavilion.

“We did get some positive (news) on our first details … but we’re going to have to get imaging when we get back and do things like that. So I don’t know for sure.

“We were really trying to get her back to play today and it was just very evident that it wasn’t going to be wise. I probably won’t know until we get some testing done tomorrow.”

The Bruins are already playing without Timea Gardiner, who is dealing with a knee injury, and Betts’ younger sister, Sienna, who is day-to-day after injuring her lower left leg in a scrimmage in mid-October.

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