Overall, it was a historic night for Leger-Walker’s school UCLA, with teammates Lauren Betts, Gabriela Jaquez, Kiki Rice, Angela Dugalić and Gianna Kneepkens also getting selected, breaking the record for the most players from one school drafted in the same year.
All five teammates were taken in the first round, with Betts (fourth) and Dugalić (ninth) going to the Washington Mystics, Jaquez, the sister of Miami Heat star Jaime Jaquez jnr, taken fifth by the Chicago Sky, Rice (sixth) to the Toronto Temple and Kneepkens went 15th to the Connecticut Suns.
Azzi Fudd was selected by the Dallas Wings with the No 1 pick.
As part of the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, second-round picks who sign with their teams are guaranteed $460,000.
Leger-Walker has also been a regular player for the Tall Ferns since her debut in 2018.
The WNBA will have 15 teams for the upcoming season, an increase of two following the inclusion of the Portland Fire and the Tempo. while three more have been slated to be added by 2030.
Training camps begin next Monday, with the 2026 season set to start on May 8.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports activities information.
