In that moment, the trio of ex-Grandview superstars — Lauren Betts, her younger sister Sienna Betts and UCLA assistant coach Michaela Onyenwere — soaked in the Bruins’ run to the national championship after asserting the potency of Colorado women’s basketball in primetime.

For Lauren, her performance was an exclamation point on a stellar college career that saw her emerge as one of the country’s best players. For Sienna, the season was a prelude to greater things to come. And for Onyenwere, it was a full-circle moment that was easy to believe for those who have tracked the trio since their days dominating high school courts across Colorado.

“Lauren came up to me on the stage and she was like, ‘Michaela, we did it. We won a natty together,’ Onyenwere said.

“Lauren would come to my high school games and she would watch me play, and then both her and Sienna going to the same high school as me, all of us winning (multiple Ms. Colorado Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year) awards, and now for all three of us to be on that stage accepting the trophy for a Division I national title — it was surreal for us to experience that together.”

An unstoppable force on the court

Lauren had a double-double in the Bruins’ on Sunday, April 5, scoring 14 points with 11 rebounds en route to earning the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Sienna, a consistent contributor off the bench in 2025-26 despite missing the first part of the season due to tallied four rebounds in the first quarter of the title before a badly sprained ankle knocked her out of the game.

And Onyenwere, the UCLA alum and 2021 WNBA Rookie of the Year who is entering her sixth season in the league, proved to be a key addition to as a hands-on assistant who did everything from scouting to player development to scrimmaging against the starters in practice.

“We were teasing (Onyenwere) in the locker room (after winning the title) and she was really emotional,” Close said in the presser after beating South Carolina. “(Associate head coach) coach Tony (Newnan) was like, ‘About time (we won), we just had to get some better players.’ We were just giving her a hard time.

“… I didn’t know that she was going to be such a dang good coach. She’s really good. She’s probably got a long pro career that she’s going to live out first, but this was even better experiencing this with her than I thought.”

While Onyenwere was a driving force outside the court, Lauren became the Bruins’ unstoppable force on it.

Her college career began with a lost year at Stanford, where she struggled to acclimate both as an athlete and an individual. That led to her transfer to UCLA, but even when she arrived in Westwood, she lacked confidence and wondered whether she wanted to keep playing.

Throughout that time, she remained bogged down by a battle with depression. So much so that during her sophomore year, she checked herself into the hospital and took a leave of absence from the team.

In an essay , Lauren called her mental health “an ongoing project.” But after helping lead her team to the title in Phoenix, she also recognized the impact of being open about her struggles.

“Basketball has given me the platform to change people’s lives,” Lauren said . “I was put on this earth not just to score points, but to help people. I’ve gone through my journey because other people have experienced the same thing, and I’m always going to speak my truth, because I know it’s going to help people.”

Now, Lauren is widely projected to be a top pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft.

ESPN’s latest mock has her going to the Washington Mystics. And while she gears up for her professional career, those closest to Sienna believe the younger sister is about to step out of her sister’s spotlight again, much like how Sienna did at Grandview after Lauren headed to college.

“This year wasn’t the role that Sienna anticipated or wanted (averaging 14.1 minutes per game), but she stayed positive, she stuck with it, and when she had the chance to play, she did really well,” said the sisters’ dad, Andy Betts, who played professionally overseas.

“Next year is going to be her coming-out party, and everyone who might’ve forgotten about her, they’ll see. She’s going to be able to show her full game and full potential at this level.”

Putting Colorado on the map

While the senior Lauren was the face of a stacked Bruins team that is likely to set a WNBA record for the most players drafted from one school in one class in league history, Sienna got to share in Lauren’s limelight in their one collegiate season together.

The two appeared together on the  and also starred in  that ran this season, featuring a cameo by their mom, Michelle Betts. The commercial was filmed in the UCLA gym at Pauley Pavilion.

“I’ve done a whole lot of crying with pride this year, because they’ve done so many amazing things together,” Michelle Betts said.

Lauren said Sienna “understood the moment” when the younger Betts checked into the national championship game. The win over South Carolina was a deja vu title moment, albeit on a much bigger stage, as the sisters also won the CHSAA Class 5A crown when Lauren was a senior and Sienna was a freshman.

“For her to get crucial rebounds, go up against really strong (South Carolina) bigs, that’s huge as a freshman. I’m just really proud of her,” Lauren said. She also told the ESPN telecast that Sienna “made this season my favorite season I’ve ever experienced.”

For Onyenwere, who Close recruited to coach this season instead of going to play in Europe, believes her and the Betts’ role in the Bruins’ first national championship was another significant stamp on the girls basketball legacy of a state that has produced top-end Division I players in droves over the past four decades.

“There has been times where Colorado has been deemed not a basketball state and we’ve been overlooked, or not recruited as much as we should have (as a whole),” Onyenwere said. “But this feat, it definitely communicates not to sleep on Colorado women…. I’m just really proud to represent Colorado, represent Grandview, represent this university and do it alongside two other really talented Colorado women.”

Now, the wise apples over in the Grading The Week (GTW) offices will readily confess our sins because 1.) There are so darn many, we’ve lost count; and 2.) It’s good for the soul.

And Team GTW has got to admit: Before last Tuesday, . And, because of what is believed to be an act of sporting/community altruism … we won’t be hearing that name for very much longer.

OK, OK, OK, here’s the juice. You know that sweet Denver Summit FC logo that dropped earlier in the week? The nifty green, gold and red number? The one that’ll represent the city’s new National Women’s Soccer League expansion team? The same NWSL team that features Peyton Manning and Mikaela Shiffrin as part of its ownership group?

At any rate, the “Summit” part reportedly needed a little … um … navigating.

Denver’s Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) franchise, which calls Mines’ Marv Kay Stadium home, has been using “Summit” since it was founded in 2022.

A Classy Summit — A

Now this is usually the part that gets the lawyers excited. Because while registering trademarks can cost hundreds of dollars, acquiring them from their original rightsholder often costs a whole heck of a lot more.

The Summit could’ve played hardball. Instead, the new soccer brand/nickname was met with a public bow and a hearty congratulation on the part of the “old” Summit, the little guys on the block.

The ultimate frisbee team said via a release that it was “passing the torch” to the new NWSL team, announcing that it would “relinquish its name to Denver’s new … expansion club.”

That’s it? No shakedowns? No litigious finger-wagging? Just a “passing of the torch?” Nobody’s that nice, surely. This is America. We want receipts!

“There was no payment for the team name,” Denver Summit FC spokesperson Brendan Hannan told Denverite.com last week. “The two clubs collaborated on a mutually beneficial relationship.”

And as part of that, moving forward, the old Summit will soon cease to be the Summit at all. The frisbee crew has already begun the process of a rebrand, starting with an online survey for fans that features 10 options — “Alpine,” “Echo,” “Sky” and “Mint” are our personal faves — as well as a box for a write-in option.

Might we suggest “Class?”

Summit FC’s logos — A

And speaking of classy, a GTW salute to Matthew Wolff, A golden sky? Check. Tip o’ the cap to Red Rocks? Check. A clean green and white base? Check and check. There’s even a secondary logo with mountains tucked inside a giant, burnt red “D” — a very cool, yet totally unique, nod to Broncos helmets past.

Betts powers Team USA to gold — A

Sticking with folks who can’t seem to stop winning,

The former Grandview High School girls basketball star and UCLA signee this past Sunday helped Team USA’s national women’s basketball team notch its fourth straight gold medal in the FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup in Czechia.

Betts recorded a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds) in a victory over Australia that clinched the gold for the Stars & Stripes. She also averaged a double-double for the tourney (14.6 points, 10.0 boards per game) and led all players in field-goal percentage (58.7%). Her older sister, Lauren, whom she’ll join in Westwood, was part of the Team USA squad that won the U19 World Cup in 2021.

“Lauren and Kiki, they had it perfect the first time,” Betts, mother of the former Grandview stalwart and current UCLA star, recalled to me in advance of Lauren leading her Bruins into the NCAA women’s hoops Final Four on Friday. “The timing of the people popping up behind them in the window, they were struggling to figure out ways to make that part work. It was a huge production. There must have been 100 (on the crew) there in and outside the house.”

Michelle knew in mid-February, the day of the AT&T shoot, that her kiddo had hit the big time. Mind you, it didn’t quite blow her mind when they dropped Mom off at a parochial school that had been converted into a Hollywood backlot. Or when

A few steps later, though, one image finally did. It was when Michelle walked up to one of those white superstar trailers, only to find a sign on the front that read, “MISS LAUREN BETTS.”

Ka-blooey. Complete, total ka-blooey.

“I was like, ‘What the (heck) is this kid’s life right now?'” Michelle said.

Once Mom got through the door, she noticed a hair stylist and a makeup artist in one corner of the trailer, while a spread of catered food lined another.

“Who the (heck) are you?” an incredulous Michelle asked her daughter.

“I know,” Lauren replied. “Can you believe this?”

Believe it.  Betts, whose 34-2 Bruins meet 35-3 UConn in the second national semifinal Friday in Tampa, is fast joining the Lakers’ Luka Doncic as one of the freshest new faces in the L.A. hoops scene.

The 6-foot-7 center scored 17 points, pulled down seven boards and blocked six shots in a 72-65 win over LSU in the regional final, avenging a Sweet 16 loss to those same Tigers in Albany at this time a year ago.

The younger Betts, a first-team AP All-American and Naismith/WBCA Defensive Player of the Year, stormed the Big Dance, averaging 23 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.5 blocks through four NCAA tourney appearances.

In fact, Lauren’s inaugural run through the Big Ten was so dominant, and seen by so many more eyeballs than previous seasons at Stanford and UCLA (thanks, Pac-12 Network!), that draftniks figured Betts would be a sure-fire top 5 pick in the upcoming WNBA draft — if she chose to forgo her senior season.

Spoiler alert: She won’t.

One of the reasons, Mom says, is the opportunity to play with little sister Sienna, a UCLA commit, next fall. Another is the fact that the Bruins, loaded as they are, could be even better next season. And there are her current : In addition to the campaign with AT&T, Betts has deals with Under Armour, C4 Energy, JLab, The Den, HighlightHER, Bumble and Grandeur Models.

Lauren and Sienna’s marketing is being handled by the heavy hitters at The agency’s clientele are so permeated into pop culture that most of Denver probably owns a record, movie or book produced by somebody with WME ties.

“I thought it was hilarious that people thought Lauren was going to enter the draft early,” Michelle said. “I really didn’t get it. She had no reason to go early, and it never crossed her mind to go into the draft as a junior.”

Between Sienna’s winning MVP honors at the McDonald’s All-American game in New York and Lauren cruising through postseason tourneys, Mom’s spent the last few weeks zipping through DIA terminals. She cracked that balloons from the celebrations over Sienna’s state title with Grandview last month are still floating around her place.

“I feel like I’ve barely been here,” Michelle chuckled. “I have decorations I still have to put away.”

And while Lauren may be the new Toast of Tinseltown, her ceiling is still a Mile High. Mama Betts figures she’s caught her daughter’s AT&T commercial by now in Denver, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Spokane — and all points in between.

But probably the favorite time it popped up for her was last weekend at a hotel bar in Brooklyn, while watching Lauren and Kiki knock off LSU on her smart phone. Mom, who’d just flown from Washington state to the Big Apple, fist-pumped her way to a catbird seat on Cloud 9. Who says fairy tales can’t have sequels?

“Welcome,” Michelle laughed, “to Hollywood.”

Betts, the younger sister of UCLA All-American Lauren Betts, finished with MVP honors, grabbing seven rebounds and handing out two assists. Breanna Stewart, whose WNBA’s New York Liberty also play at the Barclays Center, . Other WNBA stars on hand included Rickea Jackson of the Los Angeles Sparks, DiJonai Carrington of Connecticut and Courtney Williams at courtside.

The West roster also featured guard Aaliyah Chavez, the top girls’ prospect in the nation according to 247Sports. Chavez is committed to Oklahoma.

The East squad featured a trio of signees led by guard Mia Pauldo, forward Deniya Prawl and guard Jaida Civil. Pauldo had nine points, seven assists and three rebounds for the East. also had three commitments in the game with guard Hailee Swain and forward Lara Somfai of IMG Academy playing for the East and forward Alexandra Eschmeyer with Betts on the West roster.

Texas and South Carolina, both , had its representatives. Forwards Ayla McDowell and Agot Makeer both are headed to join coach Dawn Staley with the Gamecocks, while guard Aaliyah Crump was the lone McDonald’s All-American heading to Texas.

After guiding Legend to its first title game by beating one blue-chip, Riverdale Ridge’s Brihanna Crittendon, the coach’s reward was to game plan for another one of the nation’s best players on less than 48 hours’ notice.

The result was somewhat predictable, as The Denver Post’s Ms. Colorado Basketball racked up a double-double with 21 points and 17 rebounds to claim her and Grandview’s third state championship in four years.

“Sienna is the toughest because she’s the biggest game-changer,” Pitzner said. “You think you’ve got actions and defenses ready for her, but she’s just too much of a force, too much of a presence. And she’s smart because if you’re going to triple-team her, she’ll just kick it out to some of their good shooters, and their shooters were feeling it on that Saturday.

“You run out of answers real quick.”

Pitzner thought he had a good blueprint coming in, especially after Legend nearly knocked off Grandview earlier in the season. The Titans were leading in the fourth quarter of that game on Jan. 18 in Aurora, as the athletic Titans kept Betts from completely taking over with an upside-down triangle-and-two. The scheme called for man-to-man defense on Betts, plus a rim protector.

While Betts eventually settled in and led the Wolves to an OT win that night, finishing with 32 points and 12 rebounds, Pitzner made some adjustments to his upside-down triangle-and-two for the championship. But once the Titans got down early and Grandview slowed the pace of the game in the second half, he had to throw the junk defenses out the window.

And even the combination of the Titans’ Division I bigs — All-Colorado selection Mason Borcherding (Boise State) and Aubrey Cook (San Diego State) — couldn’t slow Betts. Neither could any other Colorado team this season as Betts racked up a state-best 27 double-doubles while averaging 23 points, 16.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 3.4 blocks and 2.3 steals.

“I’ve been going against double-teams so long in club and high school, I’ve adjusted my game and it’s not even a big deal to me anymore,” Betts said. “But probably the craziest thing I’ve experienced is a triple-team or quadruple team, which I don’t even realize in the game, but then I look at photos afterwards and there’s four around me, or a triangle-and-two or a box-and-one. But we prepared for that.”

The UCLA commit, who will join her sister Lauren on the Bruins, says she adopted a more intense mindset this season en route to McDonald’s All-American honors, a second Ms. Colorado Basketball nod and her third straight Gatorade state player of the year award.

A loss to Mullen in the Class 6A Sweet 16 last year underscored that recalibration.

“With committing to UCLA last year and all the (recruiting) stuff, I think I wasn’t as focused as I need to be, and as I was this year and my sophomore year,” Betts said. “That really built my motivation to remind myself how badly I want to win. My mindset going into the playoffs was that I refused to lose again. I refused to be in that situation and feel the way I did last year.”

Betts finished her career with 2,022 total points (11th all-time, according to and 4th among big-school hoopers). And her 1,508 rebounds are the most for any boy or girl in state history.

Her status as Grandview’s assists leader in 2024-25 underscored the 6-foot-4 forward’s impressive court vision.

“She reminds me a lot of Nikola Jokic,” Grandview sophomore guard Ava Chang said. “She sees the entire court, including people cutting behind her, and she makes (hard passes look easy).”

Grandview head coach Josh Ulitzky says the most impressive aspect of Betts’ three championships was how her role and status differed on each of those teams. As a freshman, she was the team’s second-best player in Lauren’s shadow; she took over as a sophomore in a breakout season; and as a senior turned in a campaign that lived up to, and in many ways exceeded, the hype.

Along the way, Ulitzky says Sienna became a more skilled high school player than both Lauren (who largely dominated with her height and length) and another ex-Grandview star in 2021 WNBA Rookie of the Year Michaela Onyenwere (who excelled with incredible athleticism).

“Every time she’s won a title, she’s been with a completely different group,” Ulitzky said. “As a sophomore, I love that group of kids, but we had no business winning the title. And she was literally like, ‘Hop on, I’ll carry you.'”

Now, Betts heads off to UCLA with the hope she can make an impact as a freshman. She plans to play the four spot while Lauren, who has established herself once her college career is over, returns for a final season as the Bruins’ center. UCLA takes on LSU in the Elite 8 on Sunday.

“I expect the whole ‘Lauren’s sister’ stuff again because she’s made such a name for herself in the college realm,” Sienna Betts said. “But I think I’m more prepared this time, and way more confident in my ability, and it won’t affect me as much as it did when I was 14 or 15. I’m really excited to play with her, have her in the post, play off each other and hopefully make a name for ourselves together.”

Sienna Betts, Grandview

Sr. | F | 6-foot-4

���ٲ��ٲ�:��23.0 points, 16.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 3.4 blocks, 2.3 steals, Class 6A state champion

Betts was again a dominant force for the Wolves en route to her third state title. Impossible to guard with just one player, Ms. Colorado Basketball faced double-teams, triple-teams and junk defenses all winter — and still easily averaged a double-double. The UCLA commit was also named to the McDonald’s All-American team and won her third consecutive state Gatorade player of the year award.

Brihanna Crittendon, Riverdale Ridge

Jr. | G/F | 6-3

���ٲ��ٲ�:��26.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 steals, 2.8 assists, 1.1 blocks, Class 6A Final Four

Last year’s Ms. Colorado Basketball turned in another prolific season, leading the Ravens on a deep tournament run in Class 6A after jumping up two classifications following their Class 4A title in 2024. Perhaps the most versatile player in the state, Crittendon could play the 1 through the 5, and guard every position on the floor, too. She has dozens of Division I offers from top programs across the country.

Alexandra Eschmeyer, Peak to Peak

Sr. | F | 6-5

Stats: 27.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, 2.0 steals, 1.6 assists, Class 4A Sweet 16

Eschmeyer burst onto the scene as a freshman four years ago, and averaged a double-double each of her four seasons in Lafayette. Including the playoffs, she ended up leading the state in scoring as no Class 4A teams had an answer for her in the paint. She was also a game-altering dynamo on defense, forcing coaches to adjust their offenses. The McDonald’s All-American is committed to Stanford.

Brooklyn Stewart, Pine Creek

Sr. | G/F | 6-2

Stats: 19.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 1.6 assists, 1.2 blocks, Class 6A Final Four

The Eagles star averaged a double-double each of her four seasons while she emerged as one of the top recruits in the country in her class along with Betts and Eschmeyer. The Oklahoma commit, Betts’ club teammate on Hardwood Elite, put Pine Creek on her back en route to the program’s first Final Four. Capable of scoring inside and outside, she played with tenacity and leadership.

Mason Borcherding, Legend

Sr. | F | 6-1

Stats: 13.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.7 blocks, Class 6A title game

The Titans’ catalyst over the last two seasons led Legend to the Class 6A Final Four in ’23, then a step further in ’24 before falling to Betts & Co. Borcherding was smooth in the post and a leader on a senior-heavy Titans team — you can’t mention her name without also noting the efforts of players like guards Grace Stanley and Maley Wilhelm. Borcherding is committed to play at Boise State.

Coach

Tonia Jones, Mullen

The Mustangs’ third-year boss led Mullen to its eight state title via the Class 5A crown a year after making the Class 6A Great 8.

Honorable Mention

F Tatayonna Brown, Sr., Air Academy; G Quinn VanSickle, Sr., Valor Christian; G Makenzie Jones, Soph., Mullen; G Peyton Jones, Jr., Valor Christian; F Kyla Hollier, Jr. Roosevelt; G Reyleigh Hess, Sr., Windsor; G Grace Stanley, Sr., Legend; F Tatum Jones, Sr., Mullen; G Kennedy Spellman, Jr., Mountain Vista; G Kinley Asp, Jr., Air Academy; G Ryanne Bahnsen-Price, Sr., Roosevelt; G Gianna Smith, Sr., Arapahoe; G Brooke Harding, Sr., Rock Canyon; F Ezra Simonich, Sr., Highlands Ranch; G Tori Baker, Sr., Highlands Ranch; F Braelynn Barnett, Sr., Cherry Creek; G Kiarra Spellman, Soph., Mountain Vista; F Evelina Otto, Sr., Denver East; G Olivia Klein, Sr., Resurrection Christian; G Olivia Mortensen, Sr., Legacy; F Sienna Williams, Soph., Monarch; F Austin Duncan, Jr. Kent Denver; G Maley Wilhelm, Sr., Legend; F Addison Harding, Sr., University; G Kya Piel, Jr., Merino; F Sophia Carbaja, Soph., Northridge. ]]> 6983453 2025-03-30T05:45:04+00:00 2025-03-28T20:16:01+00:00 /2025/03/15/sienna-betts-grandview-ucla-best-colorado-player-ever/ Sun, 16 Mar 2025 01:35:45 +0000 /?p=6955093 Best girls basketball player in Colorado history? Betts your sweet bippy it’s Sienna.

“We were having this discussion (Friday) night,” former Niwot coach Terri Ward told me with a chuckle after watching Sienna Betts and Grandview crush Legend, 61-39, in the CHSAA 6A girls championship game. “So, it’s funny that this is coming up right now.”

It’s come up because Betts, the Wolves’ 6-foot-4 power forward, put a bow on a stellar prep career Saturday by putting a hurt on the Titans: 21 points, 16 rebounds, three steals. Sienna led Grandview in shots (10), makes (seven), defensive rebounds (13) and blocks (one).

But she was proudest of posting a team-high five assists. Proud … and a little disappointed.

“Five assists?” Betts asked me. “That’s it?”

“That’s it,” I said.

See, Betts helps to move the ball up the floor, a center type who directs traffic, and teammates, like a point guard — soaking up double-teams and feeding open shooters. She’s one part quarterback, two parts sledgehammer. Come to think of it, when the Wolves are humming, Sienna looks an awful lot like their version of Nikola Jokic.

“That’s what I want to emulate for the girls’ side. I would love to be considered the girls’ version (of Jokic),” she gushed. “Passing? I just think it’s fun. I don’t think it’s fun to score all this time. I think the best thing to do out there, the best feeling, is getting someone an open shot and getting someone a good pass. That feels even more special.”

While we’re on the subject of special, no, Betts doesn’t shoot like She doesn’t handle the rock like or glide like Ann Strother.

But no Colorado prep player, boy or girl, has ever grabbed more rebounds than Grandview’s No. 51. And no girl hoopster has won more state Gatorade Player of the Year awards than Betts’ three. She’s a three-time state champ, a finalist for national Gatorade Player of the Year honors and bound for Big Ten tourney champ UCLA (30-2) in the summer. have ever been named Gatorade girls state player of the year thrice: Sienna Betts (’23, ’24, ’25) and former Grandview star Michaela Onyenwere (’15, ’16, ’17).

“I would probably definitely rank (Betts) in the top five (all-time),” Ward told me. “I would say I would put her in the top five as far as where she is as a high school player right now.”

Ward won more than 300 games with the Cougars. She won’t forget Betts. Not on your life.

“She’s probably better currently as a high school player,” the ex-coach continued, “than her sister was at that age.”

Ward said her top five would probably lead with Haave of Evergreen at the top, followed by Strother of Highlands Ranch and Waner of ThunderRidge, then pick your Betts. She’ll take Sienna first, over Lauren, the UCLA star who’s coming back to college next fall to play with her sister.

“(Sienna) matured a lot over that time, been better at being a leader, involving her teammates,” Grandview coach Josh Ulitzky said after the game. “And just seeing her grow, that’s been probably the most rewarding and fun part, just the conversations that we got to have and how she gets it.”

Coaches love when their best players are also their hardest workers. If Lauren set the bar at Grandview, Sienna raised it.

“Top-five player in Colorado history?” I asked.

“That’s really special,” the younger Betts replied. “I think I definitely deserve that. In my opinion, I definitely deserve that. I don’t want to sound cocky, but that just sounds right. For sure.”

Man, we’ll miss that. The middle Betts is the outspoken one in Colorado’s first family of prep hoops, the frankest, funniest and most fearless of the bunch. Even her is a short window into a free spirit and an unrivaled soul: sienna betts/Food Critic/@uclawb

In Manning-brother terms, . As Beatles go, if sister Lauren is Paul or George, Sienna is John, quickest with a quip.

“What’s the word called?” she asked me, then snatched it out of the air like so many stray rebounds. “Unapologetic. Yeah. Unapologetically just being me.”

And she can play, y’all. At 6-4, Sienna doesn’t have the length of big sister Lauren, who’s 6-7; or the upside of little brother Dylan, who’s already turning heads as a 7-2 freshman at Cherry Creek.

But the all-around game is better. The fundamentals, relative to where Lauren was four years ago, are sounder.

“I want people to remember the impact I had on my teammates out there, and I feel like I was able to make them feel special,” Betts said. “They’re all so amazing, but I just feel like I made them even better. I think it really showed (on Saturday) as well.”

Sienna was too much for the Titans, who tried to make up the difference in height and Coliseum experience with sheer grit. Legend rolled up with pink shoes and pink highlights in their ponytails, underdogs with nothing to lose. But when the Titans saw two 3-pointers over the first six minutes rim in and then out, it was clear that one more Cinderella moment wasn’t in the cards.

Grandview raced out to a 9-0 lead three minutes in and held a 16-7 cushion after a quarter, putting the Titans and their glass slippers on the back foot almost immediately.

“The three state championships, the three Gatorade Players of the Year, McDonald’s All-American, all-time leading rebounder in the state, period, end of story,” Ulitzky said. “All of those things, I think, help make her argument to be with the elite group of women.”

After Grandview’s locker room celebration, Sienna showed me a new tattoo, a line of cursive that runs up her right arm. An 18th birthday present that reads: Is it better to speak or to die?

” she explained. “It’s from 2017 with Basically, for me, it just means living every moment … just being yourself, no matter what. And just doing what you want and not following others. Just being who you are.”

The best of the Betts. On this stage, the Betts that ever was.

With 3 minutes and 5 seconds left in the first half, star center Sienna Betts, one of the best high school girls basketball players in Colorado history, was fed the ball in the low post. It barely touched Betts’ fingers before she flicked a pass — à la Nikola Jokic — to senior guard Maya Smith on the baseline. Smith calmly swished the 3-pointer, and the No. 1 Wolves led No. 7 Legend 29-14.

It was one wow moment among many in Grandview’s 61-39 win in the Class 6A girls state championship on Saturday afternoon at Denver Coliseum. The runaway victory gave Grandview its third state title in four years.

“Everything was in sync today,” Smith said after Grandview shot a remarkable 22 of 36 (61.1%) from the floor and made 13 of 17 free throws (76.5%).

The Wolves (25-3) saved their best performance for last. They took a 9-0 lead to open the game, were shooting 64% near the end of the first half and were never threatened by the Titans.

The UCLA-bound Betts did what she does in big games, scoring 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting with 16 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. She played with an enforcer’s presence in the paint.

But make no mistake, title No. 3 was a total team victory.

“This is so sweet,” said senior forward Deija Roberson, who scored 15 points, making six of her seven shots. Roberson is still debating which Division II college to attend.

“One-hundred percent this was about the team today,” Roberson continued. “Everybody had their moments today. I mean everybody. It took a while for us to get here, but I’m so happy we finished like this.”

Grandview lost a chance to four-peat when it fell to Mullen in last year’s Sweet 16. That loss fueled them for a solid 12 months.

“We didn’t ever forget,” Betts said.

Sophomore Ava Chang, driving Grandview’s offense up the court, added 10 points and six rebounds. Smith scored nine points.

“Credit to Maya Smith because she doesn’t get a ton of credit,” Grandview coach Josh Ulitzky said. “She always has to guard everybody’s best kid, but she knocked down two big (3-pointers). We talked about it at shootaround this morning. I told her I wanted her to be aggressive and I needed her to take those shots. I’m so proud of her.”

Ulitzky said the Wolves played their best game of the season.

“The kids were excellent and they executed the way we asked them to,” he said. “Our defense was phenomenal, and we took away the 3-point line and we rebounded.

“(Legend) is a very deep, talented team. But I thought our girls handled everything so well today.”

Betts, one of three finalists for Gatorade National Player of the Year, concurred.

“Our style fits together so perfectly this year, and it really showed today,” said Betts, who scored more than 2,000 points and grabbed almost 1,500 rebounds in a brilliant career that included her three state titles.

Grandview won its fifth state title. It won back-to-back championships in 2017-18 and again in 2022-23.

Grace Stanley led Legend (22-6) with 11 points. The Titans made a couple of mini-runs late. Ava Gavi and Stanley hit back-to-back, wide-open 3s to slice Grandview’s lead to 50-37 with 4:07 remaining in the game. But the Wolves shut down Legend the rest of the way, and the final victory margin matched their biggest lead of the game.

“Defense wins championships — I really believe that — and it showed today,” Betts said. “I’m so happy for all of our seniors and what we have done. Not everybody is going on to play in college, so this was so special. We played so well together today and everyone trusts everyone. That showed up today.”

“That loss really motivated us; we never wanted to feel that way again,” Betts said after No. 1 Grandview rallied to beat gritty No. 5 Pine Creek 39-35 on Thursday in the Class 6A state girls basketball Final Four at the Denver Coliseum.

The UCLA-bound Betts, named a finalist for the Gatorade National Player of the Year on Thursday morning, is chasing her third state title in four years. The chance for a rare four-peat was wiped out by a 49-45 homecourt loss to Mullen in last year’s Sweet 16.

“That was so hard, especially losing at home,” Betts said. “So it’s so special to get here again. We worked so hard this year and everyone wants this so bad. One more game to go.”

Grandview (24-3) will face the winner of Thursday afternoon’s Riverdale Ridge-Legend game in Saturday’s Class 6A championship at 1:15 p.m.

Betts, playing in her penultimate high school game, scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds. She became the fourth girl in state history to score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds in her career.

Pine Creek (24-3), led by Oklahoma-bound senior Brooklyn Stewart, landed the early punches but could never deliver a knockout blow.  Before fouling out late in the game, Stewart scored a double-double, amassing 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. She shot 2 for 3 from 3-point range and helped the Eagles grab a 20-10 lead in the second quarter.

“She’s an amazing player,” Betts said of Stewart, who’s one of her closest friends. “She’s the best teammate I’ve ever played with in my entire life. I’ve played with her since fifth grade.

“I wanted to give her a hug, but I know that if I just lost like that I wouldn’t want a hug.”

Pine Creek’s defense confounded the Wolves for much of the game, especially in a first quarter that Betts described as “our worst of the whole year.”

The Wolves would not have a chance for another title shot without the stellar play of senior Deija Roberson, who swished two foul shots with six seconds left to secure Grandview’s victory. Pine Creek senior point guard Leekaya Burke-Perryman, clutch down the stretch, had pulled the Eagles within two with a driving, twisting layup. Burke-Perryman scored 13 points.

Early on, when Pine Creek keyed on Betts, Roberson cut to the basket for slashing layups and found an open spot on the floor for clean shots. Robinson scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds, five off the offensive glass.

“I am so proud of her,” coach Josh Ulitzky said. “She has really grown as a person and as a player over the last four years. She’s really coming into her own.”

Added Betts: “She’s so positive and so smart on the floor. She has become such a big person for us. We trust her so much and we wanted to get the ball to Deija at the end because she is such an amazing free-throw shooter.”

The senior was named one of three finalists for the National Girls Basketball Player of the Year on Thursday. The other two are Oregon guard/forward Jazzy Davidson and Texas guard Aaliyah Chavez.

“Sienna is the definition of a great player,” Arapahoe head coach Jerry Knafelc said in a news release. “She can score the ball nearly at will, block shots better than anyone, talks on defense and has a great work ethic. What makes her truly great to me is that she makes everyone else on her team better and genuinely embraces this role.

“I’ve coached against a number of very good players, some of whom have won the Gatorade Player of the Year award. None of them did it better than Sienna.”

Entering this weekend’s action, the 6-foot-4 Betts led the Wolves in every major category, averaging 23.2 points, 16.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.2 steals and 3.5 blocks. Grandview (23-3) entered as the top seed in the 6A playoffs and has advanced to this weekend’s Final Four.

The UCLA-bound forward is ranked as the No. 2 recruit in . She has won three straight Gatorade Colorado Player of the Year awards, following her sister and UCLA center, Lauren Betts, who received the honor the two years prior.

Beyond the court, she maintains a 4.2 weighted grade-point average and has volunteered with Unified basketball and the Ronald McDonald House.

She is also one of five finalists for both the MaxPreps national player of the year and the Naismith girls high school player of the year, and was named a McDonald’s All-American.