Three Huskies Tabbed in First Round [but None by the Sun]

Former Husky star Azurá Stevens, who left UConn with one year of
eligibility remaining, was taken No. 6 overall by Dallas.

By Bob Phillips

NEW YORK–Three members of the 2017-18 UConn women’s basketball team were selected in the first round of the WNBA Draft on Thursday night.

• Forward Gabby Williams was selected by the Chicago Sky with the No. 4 overall pick.
• Forward Azurá Stevens was taken with the sixth overall pick by the Dallas Wings.
• Guard Kia Nurse was picked 10th overall by the New York Liberty.

And, as has become customary, the Connecticut Sun passed on the opportunity to draft a local star when, drafting in the 9 hole, the Sun opted for Duke star Lexie Brown one spot before the Liberty tabbed Nurse. Earlier in the day, however, the Sun did maneuver to acquire a player with a strong Connecticut pedigree, trading two No. 2 picks (this year’s and next’s) to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for former Hillhouse/New Haven and University of West Virginia star Bria Holmes who led The Academics to three state championships. But there’s a hitch. (Isn’t there always?) … Holmes will not be available until 2019, sitting out the 2018 campaign due to her pregnancy.

Williams, the 2018 Cheryl Miller Award winner, is a two-time WBCA All-American. She finished her career as a Husky as a two-time NCAA champion, an eight-time conference champion and a two-time WBCA All-American. The Sparks, Nev., native had more than 1,500 career points, 1,000 career rebounds, 300 steals and 400 assists in Storrs.

Stevens was named the American Athletic Conference Newcomer and Sixth Player of the Year in 2018. She averaged 14.7 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game this season. The Raleigh, N.C., native was tabbed the conference tournament Most Outstanding Player and named to the all-conference second team.

Nurse was named the 2018 WBCA and American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. She finished her collegiate career with more than 1,600 points and 400 assists while adding 185 steals and 395 rebounds. The Hamilton, Ontario, native is a two-time CoSIDA Third Team Academic All-American.

UConn now has had 36 WNBA draft selections since the league’s inception in 1997. The Huskies have had at least one player selected in the draft 19 times in the last 21 years, including a current 11-year streak. Since the WNBA was founded, UConn has had 23 first round picks. This is the 11^th time multiple Huskies have been taken in the same draft.,

Brown, by the way, is the daughter of former Boston Celtics’ star Dee Brown.

“I am excited with [Brown’s] versatility at the 1 and the 2 [point guard and shooting guard], the ability to really stretch the floor in the one and two,” Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller said, explaining the decision to draft Brown over Nurse. “She is such a great defender, anticipating for four years in that zone. Off the ball defensively, but she could also be on the ball. I think you win with small-guard play in this league.”

At 5-9, Brown is just the third player from a women’s Power Five conference to total 2,000 points, 500 assists, 300 steals and 200 three-pointers in her college career. She played her first two seasons at Big 10 school Maryland before transferring to ACC member Duke. Still, one has to wonder if the selection of Brown had as much to do with the Sun consciously differentiating itself from the most successful program in women’s collegiate basketball history, playing just 25 miles up Route 32 from the Mohegan Sun Arena.

Dog Bites

• Williams joins fellow Husky Stefanie Dolson (’14) in Chicago.
• Stevens will play for Dallas with Saniya Chong (’17).

—with staff reports