List of UConn Huskies in the WNBA draft

The UConn Huskies women's basketball team, representing the University of Connecticut in NCAA Division I college basketball, has had 45 players selected in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft. Of these selections, 27 were in the first round of the draft; five players—Sue Bird in 2002, Diana Taurasi in 2004, Tina Charles in 2010, Maya Moore in 2011, and Breanna Stewart in 2016—were picked first overall. At least one UConn women's basketball alumna was selected or allocated in every WNBA Draft from 2009 to 2020, with the 2021 draft being only the third in which no Huskies player was chosen.[General]

Sue Bird
Sue Bird was the first UConn Huskies alumna to be drafted first overall.

Each WNBA franchise seeks to add new players through their respective annual draft. The WNBA uses a draft lottery to determine the order of selection for the first picks of the draft; the teams that did not make the playoffs the previous year are eligible to participate. After the first picks are decided, the remaining teams select in reverse order of their win–loss record.[1] The WNBA requires that players be at least 22 years old during the calendar year of the applicable seasons, have either graduated from a four-year university or have completed their intercollegiate basketball eligibility, or have played at least two seasons for another professional basketball league.[2]

In addition to the 45 draftees, two UConn women's basketball players—Rebecca Lobo in 1997 and Nykesha Sales in 1999—were allocated to specific teams during the initial formation of the WNBA.[3][4] Lobo was assigned to the New York Liberty and is considered one of the WNBA's first players.[3] Sales was the first player for the expansion Orlando Miracle;[4] the team would later relocate and become the Connecticut Sun.[5][6]

UConn women's basketball alumni have had a significant impact on the WNBA. Six players—Taurasi, Charles, Moore, Stewart, Napheesa Collier, and Crystal Dangerfield—were named WNBA Rookie of the Year, and the first four named players were later named WNBA Most Valuable Player (MVP). Several other UConn alumni have been named to All-WNBA teams or selected as WNBA All-Stars on multiple occasions. Ten UConn players have been named to the All-Rookie Team, including five of the school's six Rookies of the Year (Taurasi's rookie season predated the 2005 establishment of the All-Rookie Team). Fourteen Huskies alumni have been part of WNBA championship teams, and three have been named WNBA Finals MVP: Maya Moore in 2013, Diana Taurasi in 2009 and 2014 and Breanna Stewart in 2018 and 2020. The current all time leader of assists in the WNBA is Sue Bird (drafted 1st in 2002) and the current all time scoring leader is Diana Taurasi (drafted first in 2004).

Player selection

First-overall selection and UConn women's basketball alumna Diana Taurasi was named WNBA Most Valuable Player in 2009.
Tina Charles was the third UConn player to be selected first overall, in 2010. She was named WNBA Most Valuable Player in 2012.
The fourth UConn alumna to be selected first overall, Maya Moore was the 2014 WNBA Most Valuable Player.
Breanna Stewart is the fifth and most recent UConn women's basketball player (as of 2018) to be drafted first overall, and the fourth to be named both WNBA Rookie of the Year (2016) and Most Valuable Player (2018).

Allocations

YearPlayer namePositionWNBA team[Note 1]NotesRefs
1997Rebecca LoboF/CNew York LibertyAll-WNBA Second Team (1997)
All-Star (1999)
Hall of Fame (2017)
[3][7][8]
1999Nykesha SalesG/FOrlando MiracleAll-WNBA Second Team (2004)
All-Star (1999–2006)
[4][6][9]

Regular draft

YearRndPickOverallPlayer namePositionWNBA team[Note 1]NotesRefs
19982313Rita WilliamsGWashington MysticsAll-Star (2001)[10][11]
199931236Kara WoltersCHouston CometsWNBA champion (1999)[12][13]
199941248Jennifer RizzottiGHouston CometsWNBA champion (1999, 2000)[14][15]
200021531Paige SauerCLos Angeles Sparks[16][17]
2001177Svetlana AbrosimovaFMinnesota LynxWNBA champion (2010)[18][19]
200111414Kelly SchumacherF/CIndiana FeverWNBA champion (2007, 2008)[20][21]
20013840Shea RalphGUtah Starzz[Note 2][22]
2002111Sue BirdGSeattle StormWNBA champion (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020)
WNBA All-Decade Team (2006)
WNBA Top 20@20 (2016)
The W25 (2021)
All-WNBA First Team (2002–05, 2016, 2018)
All-WNBA Second Team (2008, 2010, 2011)
All-Star (2002–03, 2005–07, 2009, 2011, 2014–15, 2017–18, 2021–22)
[23][24][25]
2002122Swin CashFDetroit ShockWNBA champion (2003, 2006, 2010)
WNBA Top 20@20 (2016)
The W25 (2021)
All-WNBA Second Team (2003, 2004)
All-Star (2003, 2005, 2009, 2011)
[26][27][25]
2002144Asjha JonesFWashington MysticsWNBA champion (2015)
All-WNBA Second Team (2008)
All-Star (2007, 2009)
[28][29]
2002166Tamika WilliamsFMinnesota Lynx[30][31]
2004111Diana TaurasiGPhoenix MercuryWNBA champion (2007, 2009, 2014)
MVP (2009)
WNBA Top 20@20 (2016)
The W25 (2021)
Rookie of the Year (2004)
All-WNBA First Team (2004, 2006–11, 2013–14, 2018)
All-WNBA Second Team (2005, 2016–17, 2020)
All-Star (2005–07, 2009, 2011, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2021)
[32][33][25]
200521124Jessica MooreCCharlotte Sting[34][35]
200521225Ashley BattleFSeattle Storm[36][37]
200611111Barbara TurnerGSeattle Storm[38][39]
20062115Ann StrotherGHouston Comets[40][41]
20062822Willnett CrockettFLos Angeles Sparks[42][43]
200811212Ketia SwanierGConnecticut SunWNBA champion (2009)[44][45]
20083230Charde HoustonFMinnesota LynxWNBA champion (2011)
All-Star (2009)
[46][47]
2009144Renee MontgomeryGMinnesota LynxWNBA champion (2015, 2017)
All-Star (2011)
All-Rookie Team (2009)
[48][49]
2010111Tina CharlesCConnecticut SunMVP (2012)
The W25 (2021)
Rookie of the Year (2010)
All-WNBA First Team (2011, 2012, 2015–17)
All-WNBA Second Team (2010, 2013–14, 2021)
All-Star (2011, 2013–15, 2017–19, 2021)
[50][51][25]
20103127Kalana GreeneGNew York LibertyWNBA champion (2015)
All-Rookie Team (2010)
[52][53]
2011111Maya MooreFMinnesota LynxWNBA champion (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017)
MVP (2014)
WNBA Top 20@20 (2016)
The W25 (2021)
Rookie of the Year (2011)
All-WNBA First Team (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)
All-WNBA Second Team (2012, 2018)
All-Star (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018)
WNBA Finals MVP (2013)
All-Star Game MVP (2015, 2017, 2018)
[54][55][25]
20122214Tiffany HayesGAtlanta DreamAll-WNBA First Team (2018)
All-Rookie Team (2012)
All-Star (2017)
[56]
201311111Kelly FarisGConnecticut Sun[57]
2014166Stefanie DolsonFWashington MysticsAll-Star (2015, 2017)[58]
2014177Bria HartleyGSeattle StormAll-Rookie Team (2014)[58]
2015133Kaleena Mosqueda-LewisFSeattle StormWNBA Champion (2018)[59]
201511111Kiah StokesCNew York LibertyWNBA Champion (2022, 2023)All-Rookie Team (2015)[59]
2016111Breanna StewartF / CSeattle StormWNBA Champion (2018, 2020)
MVP (2018, 2023)
The W25 (2021)
Rookie of the Year (2016)
All-WNBA First Team (2018, 2020–23)
All-WNBA Second Team (2016)
All-Rookie Team (2016)
All-Star (2017–18, 2021–23)
WNBA Finals MVP (2018, 2020)
[60][61][25]
2016122Moriah JeffersonGSan Antonio StarsAll-Rookie Team (2016)[60][62]
2016133Morgan TuckFConnecticut SunWNBA Champion (2020)[60][63]
20173226Saniya ChongGDallas Wings[64]
2018144Gabby WilliamsFChicago Sky[65]
2018166Azurá StevensFDallas WingsAll-Rookie Team (2018)[65]
201811010Kia NurseGNew York LibertyAll-Star (2019)[65][66]
2019144Katie Lou SamuelsonG-FChicago Sky[67]
2019166Napheesa CollierFMinnesota LynxRookie of the Year (2019)
All-Star (2019, 2021, 2023)
All-WNBA First Team (2023)
All-WNBA Second Team (2020)
[67][68][69]
2020199Megan WalkerGNew York Liberty[70]
20202416Crystal DangerfieldPGMinnesota LynxRookie of the Year (2020)[70][71]
20222214Christyn WilliamsSGWashington Mystics[72]
20222719Olivia Nelson-OdodaCLos Angeles Sparks[72]
20222921Evina WestbrookPGSeattle Storm[72]
2023155Lou Lopez SénéchalSG/SFDallas Wings[73]
20232416Dorka JuhászFMinnesota LynxAll-Rookie Team (2023)[73][74]
2024166Aaliyah EdwardsFWashington Mystics
20242214Nika MuhlPGSeattle Storm

Notes

References

General
  • "All-Time WNBA Draft List". WNBA.com. WNBA Enterprises, LLC. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  • "WNBA - WNBA Most Valuable Player Award Winners". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  • "WNBA - WNBA Rookie of the Year Award Winners". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  • "WNBA - WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award Winners". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  • "WNBA - WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year Award Winners". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  • "WNBA - WNBA Most Improved Player Award Winners". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  • "WNBA - WNBA All-WNBA Teams". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  • "WNBA - WNBA All-Rookie Teams". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  • "WNBA - WNBA All-Defensive Teams". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  • "WNBA Top 20@20 Presented By Verizon Unveiled" (Press release). WNBA Enterprises, LLC. June 21, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
Specific

External links