BASKETBALL/Kaitlyn Chen becomes 1st player of Taiwanese descent drafted by WNBA

Taipei, April 15 (CNA) College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen (陳紫柔) has become the first female player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after being selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the third and final round of the league's draft on Monday.

Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship in April.

While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament's most outstanding player (MOP) three times from 2022 to 2024.

Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as a highly underrated player, praising her for her poise, leadership and playmaking abilities.

"Though undersized, Chen's ability to elevate teammates and control the tempo is similar to other guards," an ESPN report said Monday.

"Chen's versatility and leadership make her a reliable, impactful addition at the next level, and she's set to join a long line of UConn greats in the WNBA," the report said.

Chen's teammate at UConn, Paige Bueckers, who was the first player chosen in the draft, advocated for Chen and another teammate Aubrey Griffin to be selected.

"I think two teams or one team would be genius to add Kaitlyn Chen and Aubrey Griffin to their team so I think they should get drafted tonight," Bueckers said after hearing her own name called.

Griffin was selected seven picks after Chen by the Minnesota Lynx.

In her one year at UConn, Chen, listed at 1.75 meters tall, averaged 6.9 points, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals a game in 23 minutes a game of playing time.