NEW YORK — After taking part in a single season with the UConn women’s basketball staff, heart Serah Williams isn’t leaving Connecticut simply but.
Williams was chosen with the No. 33 general choose within the third spherical ofthe 2026 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun on Monday evening. She turned the 52nd participant in UConn historical past drafted to the WNBA and the third Husky chosen by the Sun, becoming a member of Tina Charles in 2010 and Morgan Tuck in 2016. Tuck is now Connecticut’s common supervisor.
Williams attended the draft in particular person at The Shed in Manhattan to assist Huskies teammate Azzi Fudd, who went No. 1 overall to the Dallas Wings, however the 6-foot-4 heart obtained to have her personal second within the highlight when she was drafted out of the viewers surrounded by UConn’s complete 2025-26 roster. UConn has had a minimum of two gamers picked in each draft since 2021.
Williams performed the primary three years of her school profession at Wisconsin earlier than transferring to the Huskies for 2025-26. She was two-time first staff All-Big Ten choice with the Badgers and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2024.
UConn star Azzi Fudd picked No. 1 in WNBA Draft, reunites with Paige Bueckers on Dallas Wings
Williams had a difficult transition to UConn taking part in a system that was dramatically totally different from the one she was used to at Wisconsin. She went from averaging 15.1 area objective makes an attempt in 32 minutes per recreation to 4.8 pictures in 17.4 minutes with the Huskies, and her manufacturing dropped considerably consequently. She had her most effective season ever capturing 58.8% from the sector and was a dependable defensive presence averaging 1.3 blocks, however she logged simply 6.7 factors and 4.4 rebounds per recreation.
Still, popping out of Geno Auriemma’s legendary program usually interprets to success as a professional. UConn has signed simply 5 transfers because the switch portal was established in 2019, and all three graduates earlier than Williams have gone on to make WNBA rosters. Fairfield switch Lou Lopez-Senechal went No. 5 to the Dallas Wings in 2022, and Ohio State switch Dorka Juhasz was the Minnesota Lynx’s second-round choose that 12 months. Both worldwide gamers opted to stay abroad in 2025 however might return to the WNBA this season. Princeton switch Kaitlyn Chen was chosen within the third spherical of the 2025 draft by Golden State Valkyries, and after getting waived throughout coaching camp, she returned to the staff in June and appeared in 24 video games. Chen re-signed with the Valkyries on a coaching camp contract for 2026.
It’s traditionally unusual for late-round picks to make ultimate rosters within the WNBA, however there are extra obtainable spots this season than ever earlier than. In addition to the 2 incoming enlargement groups, the brand new collective bargaining settlement requires that each staff carry a minimum of 12 gamers, and every franchise can roster two “development players” who is not going to depend towards the wage cap and may seem in as much as 12 video games. At any time, growth gamers will be transformed to fully-rostered if the staff has want.
Williams joins a pair of former UConn standouts in Connecticut in heart Olivia Nelson-Ododa and ahead Aaliyah Edwards. She’ll even have the chance to study from a legendary veteran in 10-time All-Star heart Brittney Griner, who signed with the Sun this week as a free agent.
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