As the WNBA kicks off its 30th season, 17 former UConn players are scattered across nine teams on the league’s opening weekend. The Golden State Valkyries lead the way with four while six others have at least two.

Kaitlyn Chen, Tiffany Hayes, Kiah Stokes, Gabby Williams

San Francisco is shaping up to be Storrs West this summer. The second-year franchise had five Huskies during the preseason but ultimately waived Caroline Ducharme.

Tiffany Hayes, the oldest active UConn player still in the league with Tina Charles now retired, returned for a second season with the Valkyries, as did Kaitlyn Chen. A third-round draft pick by Golden State in 2025, the point guard didn’t make the team out of camp but re-signed in June and ultimately appeared in 24 games, averaging 10.3 minutes.

Kiah Stokes joined Golden State after five seasons with the Las Vegas Aces, where she won three WNBA titles. Gabby Williams also arrived after spending the last four years as a member of the Seattle Storm.

Aaliyah Edwards, Olivia Nelson-Ododa

The Sun will feature two Huskies in their final season in Connecticut before the franchise relocates to Houston. Olivia Nelson-Ododa re-signed on a two-year deal after being a restricted free agent. She’s entering her third season with Connecticut.

Joining her in the frontcourt is Aaliyah Edwards, who will look to bounce back after a tough sophomore campaign. She fell out of favor with the Washington Mystics and ultimately landed back in the state in an August trade with the Sun. Edwards missed the season-opener on Friday with a thigh injury.

Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd

UConn’s last two No. 1 picks will look to turn around a historically inept Dallas Wings organization. Despite winning WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2025, Paige Bueckers couldn’t improve the franchise’s fortunes on her own. The Wings ended up with the top pick for a second straight year and selected Azzi Fudd.

In the league’s annual survey of general managers, 33 percent voted Bueckers as the player they’d want to start a franchise with. Fudd projects to be a top candidate for Rookie of the Year.

Napheesa Collier, Dorka Juhász

While the Lynx feature a pair of Huskies, both are currently out with injuries. Collier is recovering from ankle surgery and is on track to return to on-court activities in early June. Earlier this week, the superstar fueled speculation that this could be her final season in Minnesota during an interview. Collier only signed a one-year deal with the Lynx during free agency.

As for Juhász, she returns to the WNBA after taking last season off. The time away served her well — she became the youngest player ever to win EuroLeague MVP over the winter. Juhász injured her foot in the EuroLeague semifinal and remains sidelined.

Breanna Stewart, Aubrey Griffin (hardship contract)

Despite being a free agent, Breanna Stewart left no doubt about her future and re-signed with the Liberty on a three-year deal. In 2025, she averaged just 18.3 points — tied with her rookie season for the lowest of her career — after dealing with knee issues.

Aubrey Griffin spent training camp with the Minnesota Lynx before being waived. She signed a hardship contract with the Liberty on Friday and made her WNBA debut later that night, playing five minutes while scoring her first career points.

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Serah Williams, Nika Mühl (out for the season with torn ACL)

Serah Williams ended up in Portland after a draft-night trade with the Connecticut Sun and ultimately made the team as a third-round pick. She’ll be the first Husky to play for the expansion franchise.

Nika Mühl is also with the Fire after being taken in the expansion draft, though she’ll miss the entire season with a torn ACL.

Stefanie Dolson, Katie Lou Samuelson

Stef Dolson signed with the Storm as a free agent and will join her fourth WNBA team (alongside the Washington Mystics, Chicago Sky and New York Liberty). She’ll look to rebound after averaging a career-low 3.7 points with the Mystics in 2025.

Katie Lou Samuelson is back in Seattle after missing all of last year with a torn ACL, though she still has no timetable to return.

Azura Stevens

After three years in LA, Azura Stevens is back with the Chicago Sky, where she spent three seasons from 2020-22. However, she’ll have to wait to officially make her return as she’s currently out with a knee injury. Stevens will remain sidelined for a few more weeks.

Kia Nurse

The face of Canadian basketball signed with Canada’s new WNBA franchise on a one-year deal. The three-time Olympian with Team Canada fittingly scored the first (unofficial) points in team history.

Atlanta Dream, Indiana Fever, Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, Las Vegas Aces, Washington Mystics