The NCAA national champion UCLA women’s basketball team made history Monday night, with five players selected in the first round of the WNBA draft.
The first Bruin off the WNBA draft board was Lauren Betts, who went No. 4 overall to the Washington Mystics.
Betts’ selection touched off a lengthy Bruins celebration in New York, with UCLA forward Gabriela Jaquez selected No. 5 by the Chicago Sky and UCLA guard Kiki Rice selected No. 6 by expansion team Toronto Tempo.
After a brief break, UCLA forward Angela Dugalic was next in line. She was selected with the No. 9 pick by the Washington Mystics, where she will join Betts.
UCLA guard Gianna Kneepkens completed the Bruins’ record-setting first round when she was selected by the Connecticut Sun with the No. 15 overall pick.
Betts averaged 17.1 points per game, 8.8 rebounds and shot 58.2% from the field as a senior in the Bruins’ national championship run. She was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, was an AP All-American First Team and Big Ten Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
“I play with joy,” Betts said on ESPN after she was drafted. “This season has been so joyful. … You can see all the positivity that I play with.”
UCLA center Lauren Betts poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected No. 4 by the Washington Mystics Monday.
(Pamela Smith / Associated Press)
She also joined her former Stanford teammate and USC rival Kiki Iriafen, who was a first-round pick last year.
“It’s been amazing, I’ve grown so much, my confidence, I’ve owned who I am as a player and a person,” Betts said.
Jaquez spent all four seasons with UCLA and was one of the most improved players in the nation en route to helping the Bruins win a national title. She averaged 13.5 points per game, 5.5 rebounds and shot 53.9% from the field and 39% from three-point range.
“I’m so excited to be here, I think having these dreams of going to UCLA and going to the WNBA and to achieve them not only by myself, but with my teammates means everything,” she told ESPN.
UCLA guard Gabriela Jaquez poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected No. 5 by the Chicago Sky on Monday.
(Pamela Smith / Associated Press)
She was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team and was an All-Big Ten second team selection.
“Going into every game and doing what the team needs,” she said about how she wanted to contribute to Chicago. “I’m going into training camp ready to learn, being a sponge and being myself and working hard.”
Rice played four seasons for the Bruins and scored 14.9 points per game with 5.9 rebounds last season while picking up 4.3 assists and averaging a 49% from the field. She was named an AP third-team All-American, was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team and was on the Big Ten First Team and all-Defensive team.
“I take a ton of pride in being the best teammate and figuring out how to make everyone better around me,” she told ESPN. “Really excited to get to work and meet everyone. It’s going to be really important to have great leadership.”
UCLA guard Kiki Rice poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected No. 6 by the Toronto Tempo on Monday.
(Pamela Smith / Associated Press)
Rice was grateful so many UCLA players got a chance to celebrate getting selected.
“This is so special,” she said. “Every one of us here deserves it so much.”
Dugalic came off the bench last season as the Bruins’ sixth player after starting the previous two seasons. In her role, she was one of the most steady veteran players in the country.
“That’s gonna be great,” Dugalic said to ESPN of playing with Betts. “I’m super excited for that. That will be a smooth transition, playing with her.”
UCLA forward Angela Dugalic poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected No. 9 by the Washington Mystics on Monday.
(Pamela Smith / Associated Press)
The Big Ten Sixth Player of the year averaged 9.0 points per game, 5.6 rebounds and shot 50.2% from the field. She can shoot from range at 32.6% and is a tough perimeter defender and can bang in the post at 6-foot-4.
Kneepkens later became the fifth UCLA player selected in the first round, a new WNBA record for first rounders from a single school. This was also the first year there were 15 picks in the first round after league expansion.
“You don’t even know what to think,” Kneepkens said. “I feel so blessed to be a part of the UCLA Bruins and now the Connecticut Sun.”
A three-point shooting star, Kneepkens shot 42.9% from range last season and 49.3% from the floor overall while scoring 12.8 points per game as the Bruins’ fourth scoring option. She was an AP Honorable Mention and All-Big Ten Honorable Mention this season, her first at UCLA after transferring from Utah.
Earlier in the draft, UConn guard Azzi Fudd was selected by Dallas Wings with the No. 1 overall pick. Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles was selected by the Minnesota Lynx with the No. 2 pick. Awa Fam Thiam, who played in Spain, was selected by the Seattle Storm with the No. 3 pick.
In between UCLA picks, Iyana Martín Carrión, of Spain, was selected No. 7 overall by the Portland Fire. LSU star Flau’jae Johnson was selected No. 8 by the Golden State Valkyries.
South Carolina’s Raven Johnson was selected No. 10 by the Indiana Fever. Ole Miss’ Cotie McMahon was selected No. 11 by the Washington Mystics. Nell Angloma, of France, was selected No. 12 by the Connecticut Sun. South Carolina’s Madina Okot was selected No. 13 by the Atlanta Dream. Duke’s Taina Mair was selected No. 14 by the Seattle Storm.
The Sparks did not have any first-round picks and will make selections in the second and third rounds.
Check back for more updates throughout the draft.
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