Kaitlyn Chen was selected on Monday April 14th by the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA draft. She was drafted in the 3rd round and 30th overall. We mentioned previously that she did not declare for the draft, but since her NCAA eligibility to play expired this year, she did not have to declare.
The Golden State Valkyries are notable this year for a couple for reasons. They are an expansion team in the WNBA and will play their first game this year. The Valkyries’ head coach is Asian American Natalie Nakase, who has played professional basketball and been an assistant coach in the NBA as well as the WNBA. Nakase was also the first woman to sit as an assistant on an NBA bench. The Valkyries are owned by Joe Lacob and Peter Gruber, who also own the Golden State Warriors.
Given that in less than a week and a half, Chen has won an NCAA championship and then been drafted as a pro. A pretty good 9 days for Kaitlyn Chen!
