NEW YORK | Michaela Onyenwere and Lauren Betts played at different times with the Grandview girls basketball team, so they never got to team up on the court.
That will change soon, however, as they will be teammates for the upcoming season with the WNBA’s Washington Mystics.
Onyenwere, a five-year WNBA veteran, signed a free agent contract Sunday with the Washington Mystics, who turned around Monday and selected the 6-foot-7 Betts with the fourth pick in the WNBA Draft.
Just over a week ago, the two Grandview products donned the blue and gold of the UCLA women’s basketball team (along with Betts’ sister, Sienna) and helped it win the NCAA championship, as Onyenwere served as an assistant coach and Betts was the national tournament’s Most Outstanding Player (see story on the Grandview connection, here).
Last week, Onyenwere talked to the Sentinel about the possibility that the two could play together.
“That would be the craziest things if we ended up on the same team,” she said. “I remember Lauren coming with her dad to watch our games when she was in middle school. We went to the same high school, both won state championships there and then I went to UCLA and she goes there. Then to come back and coach while she’s playing was crazy.
“I’m so excited for Lauren because she’s so skilled and brings the intangibles,” she added. “She can do whatever and be whatever she wants.”
Betts surpassed Onyenwere for highest-drafted Aurora area player in the WNBA Draft, as she was taken two spots before Onyenwere went to the New York Liberty back in 2021.
Betts is coming off a senior season with UCLA (her third with the program after she started her college career at Stanford) in which she averaged 17.1 points and 8.8 rebounds. She is part of a UCLA team that had an all-time record six first round draft picks.
“These are like my sisters, and getting to watch your family do something like that is amazing,” Betts told the Associated Press. “But I mean, this team is just so special. We knew the type of players that we had on the team, and to really just have this night really showcase all of the things that we’ve worked on all season is just amazing.”
Onyenwere played with the Liberty for two seasons to begin her career, moved to the Phoenix Mercury in 2023 and spent the last two seasons with the Chicago Sky. She has career averages of 6.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in 182 games, which includes 97 starts.
The Mystics announced they had signed Onyenwere to a multi-year deal, though no contract details were disclosed.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
