National champions UCLA make WNBA Draft history with five first-round picks
National champions UCLA have made WNBA Draft history in New York after becoming the first team to see five players selected in the opening round on Monday night.
Lauren Betts, Gabriela Jaquez and Kiki Rice led the historic evening by being taken with the fourth, fifth and sixth overall picks respectively.
The remarkable achievement comes barely a week after the Bruins secured their first NCAA championship following a dominant 37-1 season.
Draft dominance follows NCAA success
The Washington Mystics selected the 6-foot-7 Betts at number four to significantly bolster their frontcourt.
Jaquez was immediately drafted next by the Chicago Sky, before expansion franchise Toronto Tempo made Rice their first draft pick at number six.
Angela Dugalic then joined her former centre in Washington after being chosen ninth overall, leaving the squad anxiously waiting for one more milestone selection.
Gianna Kneepkens sealed the record-breaking moment when the Connecticut Sun drafted her with the 15th and final pick of the first round.
Surpassing a historic UConn benchmark
The Californian side shattered the previous benchmark of four first-round selections set by the undefeated 2002 UConn Huskies.
That legendary 39-0 Huskies squad saw Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Asjha Jones and Tamika Williams all drafted within the top six.
Head coach Cori Close sat alongside her players throughout the event, watching her title-winning roster successfully transition to the professional ranks.
“These are like my sisters, and getting to watch your family do something like that is amazing,” Betts said.
The newly drafted Mystics player admitted she was entirely unsurprised by the recognition given her teammates’ relentless work ethic.
“We knew the type of players that we had on the team, and to really just have this night showcase all of the things that we’ve worked on all season is just amazing,” she added.
A sixth championship winner, Charlisse Leger-Walker, concluded the celebrations when she was taken 18th overall by Connecticut in the second round.
