In the first 24 years of the WNBA, players to come out of UConn have obviously played a major role. Former Huskies have gone on to become Hall of Fame players, MVPs and scoring champs, and as the league embarks on its 25th season, rosters are littered with Connecticut alums.
With the regular season beginning later this week, here is where all the ex-Huskies will play for WNBA 25:
Atlanta Dream: Tiffany Hayes begins her ninth WNBA season, all with Atlanta, after opting out in 2020. She will start the season a bit late after playing overseas. The former all-league First Team performer is the only UConn alumnae on the court, but there's another now in the executive level. Renee Montgomery retired after a decade-long pro career and immediately turned her attention to ownership. The two-time champion is now part of the three-person investment group that bought the Dream in February.
Chicago Sky: Two of Chicago's role players came out of Storrs. Stefanie Dolson starts her eighth WNBA season, including the fifth with the Sky. She'll provide frontcourt depth along with Azura Stevens, who is coming off a career year in 2020, her first in Chicago, in which she set new career highs in just about every major category, but had to leave the Wubble early with a knee issue. The team says they'll limit her minutes, at least early on.
There was another ex-UConn player on the roster until the weekend, but we'll get to that...
Dallas Wings: Fingers crossed that this is the year that Moriah Jefferson can return to form. An All-Rookie performer in 2016, she missed 13 games in 2017 with a knee injury, missed the first 18 games in 2018 rehabbing that knee and, upon being traded to Dallas, sat out the 2019 season to continue that rehab. Then just nine games into last year she suffered another season-ending injury to her right knee. She is reportedly healthy and will be ready for the season opener.
Meanwhile on the bench, Kelly Schumacher is in her first year as an assistant coach after spending last year with the Liberty.
Los Angeles Sparks: On Sunday the Sparks jumped in on the ex-Husky fun by acquiring Gabby Williams from Chicago... but she won't play this season. There's been a little back-and-forth from both sides, but the Sky placed her on the season-long suspended list.
A part of the French national team's preliminary roster, she intends to help France qualify for the Olympics, meaning she would have missed most (if not all) of the season anyways. Fresh off a Defensive Player of the Year season in the EuroLeague, Williams will debut with Los Angeles in 2022... and she seems happy to have left Chicago.
Minnesota Lynx: Napheesa Collier has established herself as one of the best post players in the league. The 2019 Rookie of the Year improved in her sophomore campaign, finishing second in the league in rebounding and on the All-WNBA Second Team. This year she could average a double-double.
She's joined by another Rookie of the Year in Crystal Dangerfield. She made history in 2020 by becoming the first-ever second-round draft pick to take home the award. She'll run the point for the Lynx as they try to improve on last year's 14-8 campaign.
It also should be noted that while Maya Moore's rights still belong to Minnesota, the 31-year-old will not play again this year as she continues her efforts in justice reform.
New York Liberty: While New York used to have three ex-Huskies, it's now down to one in Kiah Stokes. The center started all 22 games last year, matching the number of starts she'd made in her first four seasons combined. A good defensive presence, she'll be relied upon again as the Liberty look to take the next step in their rebuild.
Phoenix Mercury: The next two teams are basically "Storrs Southwest" and "Storrs Northwest". Phoenix, of course, has Diana Taurasi back for a 17th season. The league's all-time leading scorer was healthy again in 2020, averaging 18.7 points per game (good for fifth in the league) and signed a two-year deal in February, which would take her into age-40 when it expires.
The GOAT is joined by three other Huskies. Phoenix acquired Bria Hartley last season, but a torn ACL ended her 2020 after just 13 games and she'll miss a good chunk of the season. Meanwhile a February trade with the Liberty sent both Kia Nurse and Megan Walker to the desert. An All-Star, Nurse was one of the few bright spots for New York as they embarked on a rebuild. Walker, meanwhile, played just 11 minutes per game as a rookie in 2020 and will look for a fresh start on one of the league's better teams.
Seattle Storm: Only Phoenix's quartet has more former UConn players than the defending champs. The ageless Sue Bird begins her 18th season, the most in league history. The team limited her regular season minutes so she'd be fresh for the postseason, a luxury the Storm can afford because it has the current "Best Player in the World": Breanna Stewart.
Last year Stewie returned from an Achilles tear only to finish fourth in the league in scoring before she went on a postseason tear that ended with a Finals MVP award. In the offseason he went to Europe, only to win a EuroLeague title (where she obviously won Final Four MVP honors). Oh, and she's still only 26.
And then there's Katie Lou Samuelson. Her first two WNBA seasons have been somewhat disappointing, but she looks to be breaking out after having an All-EuroLeague First Team season overseas.
Washington Mystics: It's a long-awaited debut in the nation's capital, as Tina Charles will make her first appearance with Washington. The former MVP was dealt to DC last year, but because of her asthma was granted a medical exemption and didn't play in 2020. Now she'll team up with her former coach with the Sun (Mike Thibault) and superstar Elena Delle Donne as the Mystics try to win a second championship in three years.