UConn Star Kaitlyn Chen Returns to Golden State Valkyries

Former UConn Huskies women's basketball star Kaitlyn Chen is going back where she started.

The Golden State Valkyries announced the signing of Chen on Sunday, putting her back on the roster of the WNBA's newest team after she spent the preseason in San Francisco.

Chen returns in time for Golden State's Tuesday night showdown against Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings, which will wrap up Commissioner's Cup pool play for each side (8 p.m. ET, KPIX).

Chen partook in UConn's most recent national championship run after transferring from Princeton. She averaged 6.9 points and 3.4 assists in 40 appearances while shooting a career-best 51.4 percent from the field.

The 2023 Ivy League Player of the Year was then drafted by the expansion Valkyries in the third round of April's WNBA Draft. She became the first player of Taiwanese descent to hear her name called in the draft's 29-year history.

"She's so loved from the basketball world in general," Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase said of Chen earlier this spring, per Kenzo Fukuda of ClutchPoints. "Kaitlyn, she just leaves everything out on the floor and I know what I'm going to get from Kaitlyn. She plays 94-feet pick-up. She'll look at me and goes 'what do you want to run,' I'll say 'what do you want to run?' [She's] someone you can trust but, at the same time, you can see she's fearless."

In two exhibition showings with the Valkyries, Chen put up three rebounds with two points and was a plus-7 in 13 minutes of action. Amidst a strong start to their history, the Valkyries (5-5) have dealt with several nagging injuries, including one to reigning Sixth Woman of the Year and fellow Storrs alumna Tiffany Hayes. Temi Fagbenle has also left the team to rep Great Britain in the EuroBasket Women's competition.

In addition to Chen, the Valkyries also signed Australian-born star Chloe Bibby, formerly of Mississippi State and Maryland.

Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags