The 25 greatest WNBA players who went to UConn

A 2019 first-round pick, Samuelsson has had a steady development over her first five seasons. She’s been a regular starter in nearly half of her seasons, with her best run coming in 2022. That was where she averaged a career-high 9.7 points per game while making almost two threes per night across 29.5 minutes.

The all-time leader in three-pointers when she left UConn, Mosqueda-Lewis became a sharpshooter in the WNBA. While she never lived up to the expectations set on her as the No. 3 pick in 2015, she did add value to her teams as a specialist off the bench. That was never more evident than in her role in Seattle, where she won a title in 2018. 

Jefferson put up 13.9 points per game as a rookie with San Antonio. She was even second-team All-Defense in her first year. However, a knee injury in her fourth season threw a wrench into her trajectory. She eventually regained her form, scoring double figures three more times throughout her career. In recent seasons, she has found a role as a valuable backcourt vet who can still lock down the opposing ball handler when given the opportunity. 

It’s been an eventful first two seasons for Edwards, who excelled with Washington after they used the sixth pick on her in 2024. The team then moved the All-Rookie player midseason in 2025 to Connecticut. Her brief career has seen a few twists and turns, but it's clear that she has the potential to become a viable starter in the league. That's why she finds herself just inside the Top 25 with plenty of time to climb up the list. 

Stevens, who transferred from Duke to UConn for one season, was the AAC Sixth Player of the Year in 2018. That proved to be a sign of what was to come at the next level as she developed into a terrific bench option in the W. In 2022, she was runner-up in the Sixth Player of the Year race. She put up 7.4 points per game over 19.6 minutes a night during Chicago’s 2021 title run. In 2025, she produced career highs across the board with 12.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, finishing as runner-up in the Most Improved Player race.

The No. 4 pick in the 2018 draft, Williams has enjoyed success at the next level, particularly in recent seasons. She made her first All-Star Game in 2025, a season in which she led the league in steals. The two-time All-American at UConn has established herself as a defensive menace, earning All-Defensive First Team honors in 2025. Offensively, Williams has improved her playmaking and scoring, finishing in double figures in 2024 and 2025 while her assist totals jumped from 2.0 in 2020 to 4.3 in 2025. 

Minnesota used a second-round pick on Dangerfield in 2020. She then became the only non-first-round draft pick to go on and win Rookie of the Year after posting 16.2 points and 3.6 assists per game. Since that season, she has failed to get back into double-figures again, maxing out at 8.2 points per game in 2023. Despite that, she found a solid role as a backup point guard who can provide valuable minutes off the bench. 

After going in the first round in 2014, Hartley has forged a long professional career, doing so both in the WNBA and overseas. Her commitment to the latter led her to leave the W for three years before returning in 2025 and starting 32 games with Connecticut. The two-time NCAA National Champion has always been a dependable guard at the next level, even providing elite scoring figures off the bench. Her 2020 season exemplifies that skill set, as she averaged 14.6 points per night and narrowly missed out on winning the Sixth Player of the Year award.

The No. 4 pick by Minnesota in 2009, Montgomery had no trouble translating her scoring ability to the WNBA. She put up double-figures in four of her first five seasons, which included an All-Star appearance and the 2012 Sixth Player of the Year hardware. One of her most remarkable efforts came in 2018, when she drained a record eight three-pointers in a single regular-season game. She provided consistent scoring off the bench throughout her career, which played a key role in her two title runs with the Lynx. 

All Stokes knows is winning. In college, she won three titles with UConn between 2013 and 2015. In the WNBA, she’s won three, including back-to-back championships with Las Vegas in 2022 and 2023. Upon entering the league, she established herself as one of the best defensive centers and rebounders, highlighted by an All-Defensive honor in her rookie season. Scoring is not something she (or her team) expects, so it’s her dynamic rebounding skills and defensive prowess in the paint that have helped her carve out a successful career at the highest level. 

Nurse became a starter in 2019, just one season after the Liberty drafted her No. 10 overall. That same season, she made her first All-Star appearance. After reaching the Finals with Phoenix in 2021, Nurse suffered a knee injury that derailed her development, causing her to miss all of 2022. She hasn’t returned to her double-digit scoring figures since the injury, but she remains a steady plug-and-play starter in the league. 

The AP National Player of the Year in 1997, Wolters fell to the third round of the draft, where Houston finally selected her. She was a member of the Comets' title-winning team in 1999. The following season, she joined the Indiana Fever in their inaugural season. That was where she began to receive more playing time, earning her way to an All-Star position. Her basketball prowess includes a championship at every level, from college to the pros, and as a member of the Olympic Gold Medal team in 2000. 

Dolson was a key piece at UConn during their 40-0 season in 2014. She was one of only four players in the program to log more than 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career. As a result, she was selected sixth in the 2014 WNBA Draft. A two-time All-Star as a pro, Dolson was a key role player as part of Chicago’s title-winning squad in 2021. While never becoming a game-changer at the next level, she has routinely found herself as a starting stretch-five in the league who can come off the bench if needed.

The question isn’t why Bueckers is so high on this list after just one season in the W. It’s actually why she isn’t higher. If we’re doing projections, Bueckers feels like she is on her way to being inside the top seven, if not top five, sooner or later. After going No. 1 to Dallas in 2025, Bueckers’ first season featured a Rookie of the Year award, an All-Star selection, an All-WNBA second team spot, and the rookie record for most points in a game with 44. Her elite scoring efficiency and playmaking ability have cemented her as a top-10 player in the game today and someone who seems ripe to take home multiple MVPs down the road. 

A two-time NCAA champion at UConn, Hayes has flourished at every stop along the way in her WNBA career. Across four teams, including her most recent stop with the newly minted Golden State Valkyries, Hayes has a slew of honors that have come her way. They include an All-WNBA First Team nod in 2018, an All-Star spot in 2017, and a Sixth Woman of the Year award in 2024. The versatile guard has been a key cog for winning teams at the next level, averaging double-digit scoring figures in 11 of her 13 seasons. 

The consensus National Player of the Year in 1995, Lobo's impact in the WNBA goes beyond the box score. She was a pioneer for the league, becoming one of the first players to be allocated (the draft didn't exist yet) to the New York Liberty for the W's inaugural season. She was an All-WNBA player as a rookie and was later selected to the first-ever All-Star Game two years later. She also reached the finals three times in her career. Her playing days were cut short due to a major knee injury. After hanging up her sneakers, she became one of the most respected analysts in the game. 

The No. 4 overall pick in 2002, Jones touts an impressive resume in the WNBA with a pair of All-Star selections, an All-WNBA Second Team honor, and a championship ring as a member of the 2015 Minnesota Lynx. Her career even includes an Olympic gold medal she won in 2012. She has seven consecutive seasons scoring 10 or more points per game, a streak cut short by an Achilles’ injury that sidelined her for two years. 

The two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year at UConn in the 1990s, Sales began her WNBA career with the expansion Orlando Miracle in 1998. Between her time there and with the Connecticut Sun, she amassed seven All-Star selections, including an All-WNBA Second Team honor in 2004. That same year, she led the league in steals and began a run of two consecutive Finals appearances with the Sun. Her 3,955 career points are the most in Connecticut history. 

Detroit tagged her at No. 2 in 2002 and was quickly rewarded with a title the following season (the first of two with Cash in town). She earned MVP votes in each of her first three seasons, showcasing just how dominant she was from the get-go. While she never won that particular award, her mantle is far from bare. She has a pair of All-Star Game MVPs, two All-WNBA honors, and the ultimate recognition of being inducted into the Hall of Fame. She is one of only two players in history to finish a career with 5,000 points, 2,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists -- a testament to the all-around skillset she brought every night. 

Minnesota landed a star with the sixth pick in 2019. Collier put up 13.1 points in her first season to not only earn a spot in the All-Star Game but also cement herself as the Rookie of the Year. She has finished as runner-up twice for the league's MVP, losing out both times to A'Ja Wilson. While she's as offensively gifted as anyone in the WNBA, she is equally as stout on the other end. Her efforts have been rewarded with the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year award, along with four All-Defensive honors. By the time her career is done, she very well could have as good a case as any to be the best UConn player ever. 

At this point in the rankings, these UConn greats are in a class of their own and ingrained in the fabric of the WNBA's history. The 2010 Rookie of the Year went on to become the league MVP just two years later. Charles' resume has nine All-WNBA selections and eight All-Star teams. Twice she led the league in scoring and four times in rebounding. She even led both categories in 2016 (wait, how did she not win MVP that season?). No player in history has secured more rebounds or double-doubles than Charles. 

A two-time Naismith Player of the Year in college, Moore was a no-brainer No. 1 pick for Minnesota. She spent all eight seasons as a pro with the Lynx before retiring in 2023 to focus on social justice. Despite walking away from the game in her prime, Moore's legacy is unrivaled. She has an MVP in her name, a Finals MVP, seven All-WNBA selections, and six All-Star nods. Her resume also features three All-Star Game MVPs and a scoring title. There's no telling where she would have finished in the record books had she continued playing, but her decision to focus on bigger matters is a testament to her character. 

After winning a title in all four seasons while at UConn, Stewart and her three National Player of the Year awards were impossible to pass up at No. 1 in 2016. A three-time Olympic gold medalist, Stewart may be the most decorated athlete to grace the women's hardwood. As a pro, she has won three championships (twice in Seattle and once in New York), along with a pair of regular-season and Finals MVPs. She has averaged 20 or more points in five of her first nine seasons. 

No player in WNBA history has made as many All-Star Games as Bird (13). In that same breath, no one has racked up more assists in a career than Bird, either. Oh, and no player has won more games than Bird has. In simpler terms, there aren't many players who have reached the heights that Bird did during her illustrious 19-year career. She's a four-time champion and a five-time gold medalist. When she stepped away from the game, there was no doubt that she left as the best point guard to ever wear a WNBA uniform. Perhaps most impressive, she did all of this while remaining loyal to Seattle the entire time, which not many players can claim to have done or have been given the opportunity to do. 

If the goal of basketball is to score more than the other team, then Taurasi is 1.01 when it comes to who you'd want to have on your team. Taurasi retired as the only player to eclipse 10,000 career points. To achieve that, she led the league in scoring a whopping five times. Her 14 All-Star selections are the most of any player, as are her 10 All-WNBA First Team honors. The 2004 Rookie of the Year was also a two-time Finals MVP and the 2009 regular-season MVP. She led Phoenix to three championships and was part of six gold-medal runs with Team USA, a mark no player has ever matched.