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UConn’s Geno Auriemma Makes Kaitlyn Chen Statement on Monday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Liz Lindain | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 9:33 PM ET

On Sunday morning, the Golden State Valkyries announced that they will be resigning guard Kaitlyn Chen, and she is set to play against the Dallas Wings on Tuesday.

Chen signed a training camp contract, which allowed her to train and play with the Valkyries during preseason, but was ultimately cut before the regular season started. In addition, the Valkyries re-signed Chloe Bibby, an Australian forward who went undrafted out of Maryland in 2022. Bibby also signed a training camp contract with the team last month, but was waived prior to the regular season.

This move came because several of the Valkyries players, including guard Julie Vanloo and center Temi Fagbenle, have left the team to compete in the FIBA EuroBasket tournament. The tournament begins this week and runs through the end of the month.

Chen played and graduated from UConn and played alongside Wings' star rookie Paige Bueckers and was coached by Geno Auriemma.

In a press conference that took place on Monday, Auriemma updated reporters on UConn's summer training and mentioned how proud he is of Chen and that she "deserves to be in the league."

“Her competitiveness and her drive. She deserves to be in the league. She deserves to be playing professional basketball. So, I'm thrilled for her," the UConn head coach said.

Chen transferred from Princeton to UConn for the 2024–25 season, starting all 40 games. She averaged 6.9 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.8 rebounds per game, shooting 51.4% from the field. Plus, she played a key bench role in UConn’s national championship victory.

According to reports , Auriemma will be flying over to Dallas to watch the Wings and the Valkyries play against each other on Tuesday at College Park Center. The Huskies will also be at Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday night to watch the Wings take on the Connecticut Sun.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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