Looking At The Mercury's Ties With Duke

When it comes to Duke players making the WNBA, there have been 26. Michele Van Gorp was the first, as she was drafted back in 1999. She was a second-round pick, and she was drafted by the New York Liberty.

Van Gorp spent her rookie season with the Liberty, and after that, she played for the Portland Fire and the Minnesota Lynx.

After Van Gorp, Georgia Schweitzer was the next Duke player to be drafted. She was a second-round pick, and while she was drafted by the Miami Sol, she played for the Lynx.

A few years later, Alana Beard and Iciss Tillis were drafted. Two years after they were drafted, Monique Currie and Bass were selected. Currie started her career with the Charlotte Sting, and later in her career, she played for Phoenix.

With the first pick..

Then, a Duke player was selected with the first pick of the 2007 WNBA draft. The Mercury picked Lindsey Harding, and after that, they traded her to the Lynx for Tangela Smith.

More Duke players entered the league, and in 2011, there was another with Mercury ties. Krystal Thomas was drafted by the Seattle Storm, but she was waived by them shortly after. She joined the Mercury and spent a few years with them.

Since then, there have been other Duke players who have made the league, as Chelsea Gray, Azura Stevens, Lexie Brown and others were Blue Devils. Stevens started with Duke, but she finished her college years with the UConn Huskies. Brown attended Maryland, and she later moved to Duke.

Celeste Taylor spent some time with the Mercury, and while she played for Ohio State in her final year, she played for Texas and Duke before that.

Duke's history with the WNBA runs deep, and as time goes on, more players will join Bass, Harding and the others.