UConn has a long and rich history of sending players to the NBA, especially in the last 30 years. Take the league's 75th anniversary celebration, which included Hall of Famer Ray Allen among its list of the 75 greatest players.
Taking a more current approach, NBA rosters, sidelines and front offices are littered with former Huskies (and not just from the men's team). Here are the ex-UConn stars to make an impact in the league in 2021-22:
James Bouknight: The newest Husky in the NBA is Bouknight, the 11th overall pick in this summer's draft to Charlotte. Though he led all rookies in scoring in the preseason, he's only played a total of two minutes through the Hornets' first three games. The future is certainly bright, though, for the All-Big East performer.
Andre Drummond: Now in his 10th season, Drummond begins his first season in Philadelphia. The two-time All-Star likely isn't the 33-minute-a-night workhorse he was for so long in Detroit, especially given the presence of Joel Embiid in the Sixers frontcourt. But he's a valuable role player, coming off the bench for 18-20 minutes per game, and he's still one of the league's best rebounders (through two games he has 27 boards in 37 minutes). Now on his fourth team since 2019 it's his best chance at a championship to date.
Rudy Gay: The eldest member of this group is still hanging around. After four years in San Antonio, the 35-year-old is on the fifth team of his career after signing a deal with Utah in August. The 15-year veteran is expected to provide double-digit scoring off the bench, but his season debut will have to wait after he underwent surgery on his left heel. With 1,009 regular season games played, only Cliff Robinson and Ray Allen have played more NBA games in UConn history.
Jeremy Lamb: The 2011 national champion quietly begins his 10th season this year, and his third in Indiana. Lamb is one of the primary scoring options off the bench for the Pacers, through three games averaging eight points, particularly fueled by 6-of-13 shooting from three. It's a big year for the 29-year-old, who will be a free agent after this year as he finishes up the three-year, $31.5-million deal he signed in 2019.
Kemba Walker: He's home. The Bronx native who hit one of the most famous shots in UConn history in the 2011 Big East quarterfinals now returns to Madison Square Garden full-time. After a tumultuous two years with Boston, Walker was traded to Oklahoma City in June, then waived in August. It allowed him to sign a two-year deal worth nearly $18 million with the Knicks. The four-time All-Star will look to get back to full health and return to form (plus, we get Andrea Walker back at MSG, which is an added bonus).
Mark Daigneault: It's just the five players on NBA rosters, but there are other Connecticut ties throughout the league, most notably with Daigneault. The former student manager for Jim Calhoun begins his second season as the head coach of the Thunder, and at 36 is still the youngest head coach in the league. Still in a rebuild after a 22-50 finish to last year, OKC is off to a 0-3 start this year, with losses by 21, 33 and 12.
Caron Butler: The 14-year veteran is in his second year as an assistant coach in Miami under Erik Spoelstra, and he's doing important work off the court as well. He's a vocal advocate for police and prison reform, in particular with the use of solitary confinement. His "second act" is turning out to be perhaps more important than anything he did with a basketball.
Swin Cash: The newest member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and named one of the WNBA's 25 greatest players ever, Cash is in the Pelicans' front office as the vice president of basketball operations. She describes the most important part of her job as "culture building". Cash is the first Black female executive in NBA history.