WNBA Announces Initial List of Players Renouncing NCAA Eligibility to Opt-In for Consideration for 2022 WNBA Draft Presented by State Farm®
NEW YORK, March 29, 2022 – The WNBA announced today the initial list of 88 players from colleges and universities who have formally filed for inclusion as candidates for the 2022 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm, scheduled for April 11 at Spring Studios in New York (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET).
Since the NCAA granted, in 2021, every winter sport student-athlete an additional year of NCAA eligibility as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, intercollegiate women’s basketball players – even those who are finishing their senior year or graduate studies – may have remaining NCAA eligibility after the 2021-22 season. Accordingly, the WNBA and the WNBPA previously agreed on an opt-in process for NCAA players who are otherwise eligible for the 2022 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm.
Players whose college teams are still active will have 48 hours following the conclusion of their final game to renounce their remaining NCAA eligibility and declare themselves available for the 2022 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm.
Players who have exhausted all NCAA eligibility, including the additional year granted due to Covid-19, are not required to renounce in order to be available. Eligible international players (as that term is defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement) also are not required to opt in to the 2022 WNBA Draft in order to be selected.
Following is an initial list of players who have filed for consideration as candidates for the 2022 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm.
Player | School | Position | Height |
Faustine Aifuwa | LSU | C | 6-5 |
Joanne Allen-Taylor | Texas | G | 5-8 |
Amy Atwell | Hawaii | G | 6-0 |
Shakira Austin | Ole Miss | F | 6-5 |
Ty Battle | Delaware | F | 6-0 |
Kiersten Bell | Florida Gulf Coast | F | 6-1 |
Arbie Benson | Ball State | G | 5-10 |
Katie Benzan | Maryland | G | 5-6 |
Michelle Berry | TCU | G-F | 6-2 |
Chloe Bibby | Maryland | F | 6-2 |
Jazzmaine “Jazz” Bond | North Florida | F | 6-4 |
Araion Bradshaw | Dayton | G | 5-5 |
Rae Burrell | Tennessee | F | 6-1 |
Veronica Burton | Northwestern | G | 5-9 |
Brice Calip | Missouri State | G | 5-8 |
Nicole Cardaño-Hillary | Indiana | G | 5-6 |
Jailin Cherry | LSU | G | 5-8 |
Natalie Chou | UCLA | G | 6-1 |
Deja Church | DePaul | G | 5-11 |
Nia Clouden | Michigan State | G | 5-8 |
Jennifer Coleman | Navy | G | 5-8 |
Lorela Cubaj | Georgia Tech (Italy) | F | 6-4 |
Mia Davis | Temple | F | 6-0 |
Jasmine Dickey | Delaware | G | 5-9 |
Maya Dodson | Notre Dame | F | 6-3 |
Alexus Dye | Tennessee | F | 6-0 |
Queen Egbo | Baylor | C | 6-3 |
Jayden Eggleston | CSU Bakersfield | G-F | 6-1 |
Emily Engstler | Louisville | F | 6-1 |
N’Dea Flye | Rocky Mountain | G | 5-8 |
Krystal-Jade Freeman | Tulane | F | 6-0 |
Jenna Giacone | Dayton | G | 6-1 |
Miela Goodchild | Duke | G | 5-10 |
Alexis “Lexi” Gordon | Duke | G-F | 6-0 |
Vivian Gray | Texas Tech | G | 6-1 |
Aleksa Gulbe | Indiana | F | 6-3 |
Chelsie Hall | Louisville | G | 5-7 |
Sara Hamson | BYU | C | 6-7 |
Paisley Harding | BYU | G | 5-9 |
Anastasia Hayes | Mississippi State | G | 5-7 |
Lauren Heard | TCU | G | 5-9 |
Lexi Held | DePaul | G | 5-10 |
Naz Hillmon | Michigan | F | 6-2 |
Mya Hollingshed | Colorado | F | 6-3 |
CeCe Hooks | Ohio | G | 5-8 |
Qadashah Hoppie | Texas A&M | G | 5-9 |
Rhyne Howard | Kentucky | G | 6-2 |
Gadiva Hubbard | Minnesota | G | 5-9 |
Aahliyah Jackson | TCU | G | 5-10 |
Erica “Rosy” Johnson | Ohio | G | 5-11 |
Masseny Kaba | UCF | F | 6-3 |
Lotta-Maj Lahtinen | Georgia Tech | G | 5-9 |
Chloe Lamb | South Dakota | G | 5-9 |
Jordan Lewis | Baylor | G | 5-7 |
Kelsey Marshall | Miami | G | 5-9 |
LaShonda Monk | Ole Miss | G | 5-6 |
Christina Morra | Wake Forest | F | 6-3 |
Que Morrison | Georgia | G | 5-7 |
Nancy Mulkey | Washington | C | 6-9 |
Bethy Mununga | South Florida | F | 6-0 |
Ali Patberg | Indiana | G | 5-11 |
Brie Perpignan | Elon | G | 5-8 |
Destiny Pitts | Texas A&M | G-F | 5-10 |
Khayla Pointer | LSU | G | 5-7 |
Amber Ramirez | Arkansas | G | 5-9 |
Taya Robinson | VCU | G | 5-9 |
Nyara Sabally | Oregon | C | 6-5 |
Courtajia “Tay” Sanders | UCF | G | 6-1 |
Chanin Scott | North Carolina A&T | G-F | 5-11 |
Aisha Sheppard | Virginia Tech | G | 5-9 |
Hannah Sjerven | South Dakota | C | 6-2 |
Akila Smith | Longwood | F | 5-11 |
Alisia Smith | Michigan State | F | 6-3 |
Kianna Smith | Louisville | G | 6-0 |
NaLyssa Smith | Baylor | F | 6-4 |
Tra’Dayja Smith | Longwood | G | 5-5 |
Jenna Staiti | Georgia | C | 6-4 |
IImar’I Thomas | UCLA | F | 5-10 |
Taylah Thomas | Texas Tech | F | 6-1 |
Lianna Tillman | Sacramento State | G | 5-9 |
Amadine Toi | Virginia | G | 5-10 |
Lauren Van Kleunen | Marquette | F | 6-2 |
Cierra Walker | Gonzaga | G | 5-8 |
Sydne Wiggins | SMU | G | 5-10 |
Jade Williams | Duke | F | 6-5 |
Macee Williams | IUPUI | F | 6-2 |
Ameshya Williams-Holiday | Jackson State | F | 6-4 |
Deja Winters | Minnesota | G | 5-10 |
During the WNBA Draft 2022 presented by State Farm on April 11, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will announce the draft picks live on ESPN with exclusive coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET. The draft will also be available live on the ESPN App.
Top prospects will take part live as the WNBA Draft presented by State Farm returns to an in-person event for the first time since 2019, with the acclaimed Spring Studios, located in the Tribeca section of New York and the home to such iconic events as Fashion Week and The Tribeca Film Festival, serving as the venue for the evening’s events.
The Washington Mystics own the top pick in the WNBA Draft 2022 presented by State Farm.