The WNBA draft on Monday night brought some expected news and some surprises.

As many people predicted, Paige Bueckers from UConn was the first pick of the first round, going to the Dallas Wings. As for surprises, two of Bueckers’ teammates, Kaitlyn Chen and Aubrey Griffin, also got drafted from the crowd. Chen was drafted by the Golden State Valkyries and Griffin by the Minnesota Lynx.

Other players, like Hailey Van Lith from TCU, were predicted to be drafted in the first round, and she was chosen as the 11th pick by Chicago Sky. That means she will reconnect on the same team as her old teammate from LSU, Angel Reese. 

Locally, Megan McConnell from Duquesne has accepted a WNBA training camp invite with the Phoenix Mercury.

Other big names, like Georgia Amoore from Kentucky and Lucy Olsen from Iowa both went to the Washington Mystics. Sarah Ashley Barker from Alabama went to the Los Angeles Sparks, while both Sonia Citron from Notre Dame and Kiki Iriafen from USC went to the Mystics. 

The last two years of the draft have set up parallels between UConn and Iowa, starting with having first overall picks in Bueckers this year and Caitlin Clark last year from Iowa. Each school has had players unexpectedly being drafted from the crowd like Chen this year and Kate Martin from Iowa last year. They will now be teammates on Golden State because Martin was traded there during the season. 

Twenty-two different schools were represented in the draft including WVU, Ohio State, LSU, Iowa, UConn, TCU, Ole Miss, and Notre Dame. Other players were drafted from overseas and can now show their talent and compete against the best competition in the world within the WNBA.

The league has gotten more competitive with new and young talented shooters, ball-handlers, forwards, and playmakers that will add more aspects to the league. 

The WNBA is gaining popularity, with more fan-favorite players about to play on the big stage.