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Refugium's avatar

A heartwarming video of Justė learning that she had been drafted by the Valkyries. The link is on a Valkyrie email which many of you may be getting, and it’s an Instagram video. I have no idea how to get that video to you here.

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Refugium's avatar

Justė Joyctė

I was using the French accent grave, but it is actually dots above the e

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Eric Apricot's avatar

‪Marisa Ingemi‬ ‪@mingemi.bsky.social

[[

At No. 30, the Valkyries use their third round pick to select Kaitlyn Chen

UConn national champion, former Ivy League sharpshooter, 115 assists this season, California native.

]]

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DubsNerd's avatar

Had to dig around some, but I remember reading about her last year when she was a senior at Princeton:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5359156/2024/03/22/princeton-kaitlyn-chen-ncaa-tournament-thesis/

Just two days before the start of the Ivy League tournament, Princeton star Kaitlyn Chen turned in a draft of her senior thesis. A medical anthropology major, Chen is writing on the relationship between sports and meritocracy. More specifically, she’s researching how socioeconomic status influences accessibility to certain sports, and how that translates to college athletics recruiting. She admits, rather humbly, that she is still figuring out parts of her argument, such as how to square the financial barriers athletes have growing up with the hard work they put in. She’s written about 70 pages. “I’ve still got a lot of editing,” she said. “Stuff to take out and put in.”

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Refugium's avatar

Never heard of her, but here it is: “Kaitlyn Chen is an American college basketball player for the UConn Huskies of the Big East Conference. She previously played for the Princeton Tigers.” First Taiwanese American to win a national championship.

“No. 20 – UConn Huskies

Position: Point guard / shooting guard

League: Big East Conference

Personal information

Born: San Marino, California, U.S.

Listed height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)

Career information

High school: Flintridge Prep ( La Cañada Flintridge, California)

College: Princeton (2021–2024), UConn (2024–present)” (2025) National Champion

Wikipedia

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Eric Apricot's avatar

She's 5-9 for people who care about that...

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Eric Apricot's avatar

Only the most dedicated will stick around for the last GSV pick at #30. But for the record, these are the top mocked players still available:

Sedona Prince (controversial)

Rayah Marshall

JJ Quinerly

Gianna Kneepkens

Janiah Barker

Or does GSV go for another international youngster?

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Refugium's avatar

Another surprise!

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Eric Apricot's avatar

Sellers had a knee injury that seems to have scared everyone off, but GSV can afford to wait for her to heal.

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Eric Apricot's avatar

#17 SHYANNE SELLERS TO GSV

Some mocked her to GSV at #5, fell to #17. The Jocyte / Sellers draft reminds me of the Kuminga / Moody draft in a lot of ways.

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Eric Apricot's avatar

Thanks, I'll put these in the write-up

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Eric Apricot's avatar

Okay... at #17 all four are still available. I figure GSV has to grab Sellers, right?

Shyanne Sellers

Te-Hina Paopao

Serena Sundell

Sania Feagin

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Eric Apricot's avatar

Woohoo LVA drafts Nye at #13, the first pick who's not an official invitee. That leaves more choices for GSV at #17. Getting close. Still available of the invitees after #14:

Shyanne Sellers

Te-Hina Paopao

Serena Sundell

Sania Feagin

Sellers was mocked by some to GSV at #5.

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Eric Apricot's avatar

GSV picking at #17. #10 on the clock. Big names still on the board:

Shyanne Sellers

Hailey Van Lith

Te-Hina Paopao

Maddy Westbeld

Sedona Prince (controversial)

Serena Sundell

Oops, Van Lith gone at #10

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belilaugh's avatar

Pao-Pao is the one

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Refugium's avatar

Ditto.

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belilaugh's avatar

They had her if they wanted her but they passed, sadly

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belilaugh's avatar

Thank god they didn't draft a 5'6 or 5'7 guard.

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Eric Apricot's avatar

Amoore is off the board, but Hailey Van Lith is still on the board!!

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Eric Apricot's avatar

JUSTE JOCYTE

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Refugium's avatar

Too bad they didn’t do an interview, like PaoPao.

Surprising as she was on a lot of people‘s radar.

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Arnold's avatar

Her game reminds me of Goran Dragic.

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Run_TMC's avatar

Oh. I actually watched her highlights and liked her a lot (not sure that's a good sign, though)

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Refugium's avatar

You called it!

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Eric Apricot's avatar

haha, I definitely did not, but at least I considered her a very serious option

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Eric Apricot's avatar

This is it.... Aneesah Morrow, Shyanne Sellers, Justė Jocytė or even Hailey van Lith to GSV at #5 ??

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Eric Apricot's avatar

GS Valkyries have the #5 pick in a four player draft. I think if any of Citron, Malonga, Iriafen fall to #5, then GSV grabs them. Otherwise it’s pretty open.

And it’s Malonga at #2, the dunking phenom

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Eric Apricot's avatar

In the NBA draft, the picks take time because teams are making each other trade offers up to the last second. But in the WNBA, teams aren’t allowed to trade picks on draft day. So IN THEORY that means the picks could come more quickly.

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Run_TMC's avatar

Nah, gotta fit in all the commercials ... ;D

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Eric Apricot's avatar

In reality, #2 pick is taking an eternity when it was decided days ago

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Eric Apricot's avatar

Okay, DAL is on the clock for the #1 pick. I suppose there’s TECHNICALLY a chance they won’t select Paige but

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Run_TMC's avatar

That would be a bigger shock than the Luca trade

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