PROVIDENCE, R.I. – UConn women’s basketball players Megan Walker and Crystal Dangerfield and former USF women’s basketball player Kitija Laksa were each selected during the 2020 WNBA Draft on Friday night. Walker was the ninth overall pick by the New York Liberty, Laksa went number 11 to the Seattle Storm and Dangerfield was taken 16th overall by the Minnesota Lynx.
A total of 19 players representing the American Athletic Conference have been drafted into the WNBA since the formation of the conference in 2013. Walker became the 14th and Laksa the 15th American player chosen in the draft’s first round.
Walker and Dangerfield, the 39th and 40th players from UConn drafted into the WNBA since 1997, extended the current streak of draftees from the Huskies to 13 consecutive years. Laksa was the fourth all-time draft pick from USF and the second in the first round (Courtney Williams, 2016 eighth overall pick, Phoenix Mercury).
Walker was the 2020 American Player of the Year after leading the conference with 19.7 points per game this season. She earned consensus All-America honors after being named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-America squad and to the first teams of both the Associated Press and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). Dangerfield, a 2020 first-team all-conference choice, was an honorable mention selection according to all three main All-America services. Laksa, who played professionally in Latvia last season, was a three-time all-conference choice and the 2018 American Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year while at USF.
MEGAN WALKER, NINTH OVERALL PICK, NEW YORK LIBERTY
- 2020 WBCA All-America
- 2020 AP First Team All-America
- 2020 USBWA First Team All-America
- 2020 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year
- 2020 American Tournament MOP
- Two-time All-Conference Selection
- Finished UConn career with 1,251 points, 615 rebounds and 95 steals
KITIJA LAKSA, 11TH OVERALL PICK, SEATTLE STORM
- 2017 WBCA All-America Honorable Mention
- 2018 American Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
- 2016 American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year
- Three-time All-Conference Selection
- Finished USF career with 1,764 points, 312 rebounds and 308 made 3-pointers
CRYSTAL DANGERFIELD, 16TH OVERALL PICK, MINNESOTA LYNX
- Two-Time WBCA All-America Honorable Mention
- Two-Time AP All-America Honorable Mention
- 2020 USBWA All-America Honorable Mention
- Three-time All-Conference Selection
- Finished UConn career with 1,480 points, 599 assists and 203 steals