ET while the Aces and Storm will have to wait until 3 p.m. The Wings open with the Atlanta Dream on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET while the Mercury and Sparks square off at 11 p.m. The Lynx kick off against the Chicago Sky at 8 p.m. ET on Friday when the Sun take on the Indiana Fever and the Liberty face the Mystics. Tina Charles and Megan Walker remain free agents. Back home, Tiffany Hayes and Olivia Nelson-Ododa returned to Connecticut this past offseason and are on the Sun’s opening day squad.Īs for former Huskies not on rosters, both Bria Hartley and Christyn Williams are recovering from injuries while Gabby Williams’ status is in doubt due to the league’s new prioritization rule. Up the coast, Kia Nurse is UConn’s lone representative on the Seattle Storm following Sue Bird’s retirement after last season. In LA, Azura Stevens and Katie Lou Samuelson are both on the Los Angeles Sparks’ roster, though Samuelson will not play this season due to her pregnancy. Westbrook made the roster despite joining later in the preseason after being waived by the Washington Mystics early in camp. Out west, Moriah Jefferson and Evina Westbrook will team up with Diana Taurasi on the Phoenix Mercury. Last season, Collier only returned for the last four games of the year after giving birth to her daughter, so this will be her first full campaign back.Įlsewhere, Breanna Stewart and Stef Dolson will both suit up for the New York Liberty, one of the WNBA’s two superteams along with the Las Vegas Aces - who feature Kiah Stokes. Juhász joins Napheesa Collier in Minnesota’s frontcourt. She excelled during the preseason by showcasing her versatility and skill as a post player and even racked up a double-double in her professional debut during the Lynx’s exhibition opener. Juhász earned a spot on the Minnesota Lynx despite being a second-round pick. Dallas selected Lopez Sénéchal with the fifth overall pick in the most recent draft. (0-1) who are starting a rebuild this season around a roster of. Lopez Sénéchal joins Crystal Dangerfield on the Dallas Wings, though she’ll miss 6-8 weeks after undergoing knee surgery. 14 hours ago &0183 &32 The Phoenix Mercury (2-0) started off the season with a massive win getting Brittney Griner back on the court and with the team. The school’s two 2023 WNBA Draft picks - Lou Lopez Sénéchal and Dorka Juhász - both made their respective squads. Eight of the 12 WNBA franchises have at least one former UConn player on their roster. The Phoenix Mercury lead the league with three Huskies while five other teams had two. "I love you and the work you put in.An impressive 15 former UConn women’s basketball players made WNBA rosters ahead of the regular season’s opening weekend. "YOUR DREAM! The thing you have talking about since I met (you) is right here," Staley wrote. After she was officially named to the Sparks' roster Thursday, Staley tweeted a message of support for her former player. She was also a part of the South Carolina squad that won the 2022 NCAA Championship. The 5-9 Cooke was the Gamecocks' leading scorer in 2022-23, averaging 15.4 points per game, and she earned third-team All-American honors. 10 overall by the Sparks in the 2023 WNBA Draft and was the youngest player to make the team's roster this season. The Mercury-Sparks game also held another layer of significance for Staley: It was the WNBA debut for former South Carolina guard Zia Cooke. She made her return to the WNBA when the Mercury opened the 2023 season against the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday.ĭuring pregame warmups, Griner jogged over to the baseline and bent down to wrap the 5-foot-6 Staley in a long hug. that she would play for the Phoenix Mercury this year. The 6-foot-9 Griner was insistent from the moment she returned to the U.S. Staley also posted every day on Twitter and Instagram counting the number of days Griner had been detained and calling for her release. Staley was a vocal advocate for Griner's return during her detainment, wearing clothing bearing her name and/or image at every South Carolina women's basketball game until Griner was back on U.S. View Gallery: Dawn Staley: South Carolina women's basketball coach through the years
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