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A blog on UConn women's basketball.

Friday, May 18, 2018

UConn alums setting the pace once again in WNBA


 

It is not exactly "stop the presses" material to report that no program has more alums on current WNBA rosters than UConn. According to my research, the last time somebody other than UConn had more of its players on WNBA rosters came in 2013 when Tennessee beat out UConn 12-10 and before that, it last took place in 2009 with Tennessee edging out the Huskies 13-12.

It is noteworthy, however, that the 17 alums from UConn on the WNBA rosters is the most for one program in the history of the WNBA. The mark was 15 set by UConn in 2016.

Stanford was the first program I could find with at least 13 alums appearing in WNBA regular season games in the same year and that transpired in 2000. Tennessee peaked at 13 alums during the 2009 campaign. That leaves UConn that has had at least 13 former players play in a season six times - 2008 (14), 2012 (13), 2015 (13), 2016 (15), 2017 (14) and 2018 (17).

More remarkable numbers to consider include the fact that there are more WNBA teams with multiple UConn grads on rosters (five) than teams without a UConn product. Or how about 35 players who spent their entire college careers at UConn have been taken in the WNBA Draft and only Shea Ralph in 2001 (as a result of the last of the serious knee injuries she suffered on the court) failed to make it onto a roster. When you add in Rita Williams and Azura' Stevens either playing or about to play in the WNBA and Natalie Butler becoming the second draft pick out of UConn not to make a WNBA roster, that makes it 36 of 38 picks who played at UConn have made it in the WNBA.

I have Duke ranking second on the alum count on active rosters with Azura' Stevens counting both for UConn and Duke.







Here's the team by team breakdown of UConn alums in the WNBA
Atlanta: Tiffany Hayes, Renee Montgomery
Chicago: Stefanie Dolson, Gabby Williams
Connecticut: Morgan Tuck
Dallas: Saniya Chong, Azura' Stevens
Las Vegas: Moriah Jefferson
Minnesota: Maya Moore
New York: Tina Charles, Bria Hartley, Kia Nurse, Kiah Stokes
Phoenix: Diana Taurasi
Seattle: Sue Bird, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Breanna Stewart


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