Former women’s basketball star point guard Kaitlyn Chen ’24 became the third former Tiger to be drafted in the WNBA on Monday night. The Golden State Valkyries selected the three-time Ivy League Player of the Year with the 30th overall pick, the sixth pick of the third round.
Chen joins Abby Myers ’22 and Bella Alarie ’20 as the only Tigers taken in the WNBA draft in the league’s 29 years. The three former stars of the Orange and Black helped drive women’s basketball’s five straight Ivy League regular season and tournament championships from 2018 to 2024.
Chen was a standout point guard during her time at Princeton. She led the Tigers to three regular season and tournament championships each, and she also helped the team win two NCAA Tournament games. She holds the third-best assist record in Princeton program history as well. In 2023, Chen was named Ivy League Player of the Year.
Chen stood out not only in the Ivy League but brought the same energy and basketball IQ to Storrs, CT, for her fifth and final year of eligibility. Chen spent the 2024–2025 season with the University of Connecticut Huskies, who won the NCAA championship just eight days ago.
“I had a good feeling that she [Chen] might get drafted, just her career at Princeton and the season she had at UConn— I think she would add a lot of value to a WNBA team," Head Coach Carla Berube told The Daily Princetonian. "So, yeah, I was optimistic about the chances."
Chen followed in Coach Berube’s footsteps by playing for the Huskies. When Coach Berube played college ball at UConn, she was a part of the 1995 team that brought the trophy to Storrs for the first time, now, 30 years later, one of her own players was an integral part of the 12th UConn national title. This shared experience has strengthened Berube and Chen’s relationship with each other.
“Of course I’m a huge UConn fan regardless of if she [Chen] were there, and it just made it even more incredible to watch them win their 12th National Championship with Kaitlyn as the starting point guard; it was pretty special," Berube added. "It was great having some of my Princeton alums there watching it, my whole staff; we had a blast."
At UConn, she averaged over 20 minutes, almost seven points, and nearly three and a half assists per game while appearing in all 40 games. She is one of three Huskies drafted last night, including Paige Bueckers, the number one pick overall, and Aubrey Griffin, the 37th selection of the draft.
Chen’s selection comes as a slight surprise, as ESPN’s final mock draft did not predict her being taken in any of the draft’s three 12-pick rounds. SBNation’s final mock draft also did not have Chen as a selection. But Golden State is taking a chance on Chen’s ability to run the offense as a floor general, and to win.
“With basketball, I just sort of let it take me on this journey, and I haven’t really had any expectations from the start," Chen stated in a press conference shortly after she was drafted. "And I was lucky enough to have such a great time at Princeton and be so successful there and I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to come to UConn. So, I think I’m just taking everything as it goes, and it’s been a pretty great ride so far."
Chen is also not the only Ivy League player to get drafted this go-around. Harvard’s Harmoni Turner was selected by the Las Vegas Aces in the 35th pick of the draft. Last year, three Ivy League players were drafted to the WNBA, although none played for the Tigers.
Chen will return back to her home state of California to play for the Valkyries, one of two new expansion teams for the 2025 season. Golden State will play their first ever game in franchise history on May 16 against the Los Angeles Sparks when the WNBA kicks off.
“She [Chen] plays with a lot of joy, she finds joy in things," Coach Berube told the ‘Prince’. "I think that she is just a really really great teammate and hopefully she continues to do that—off the court, on the court, really showing the Valkyries what a benefit she will be to their franchise."
Emilia Reay is a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’
Harrison Blank is a head Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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