Gianna Kneepkens is selected by the Connecticut Sun as the last first round pick

Graduate student guard Gianna Kneepkens was selected 15th overall by the Connecticut Sun, making UCLA the first team to have five athletes picked in the first round of the same draft in WNBA history. 

The Duluth, Minnesota, local arrived in Westwood for the 2024-25 campaign after spending her first four collegiate seasons at Utah, where she was one of the nation’s few 50-40-90 shooters her redshirt junior year.

A season-ending foot injury gave Kneepkens an extra year of eligibility, in which the shooting guard opted to spend with the Bruins after entering the transfer portal. 

Kneepkens led UCLA in 3-point shooting, ending the season with a 42.9% clip from behind the arc that ranked 14th in the nation. The graduate student started at the four for the Bruins across their national championship-winning campaign, showcasing her ability to get downhill in addition to being lethal from deep.

Aside from her offensive presence, Kneepkens recorded 41 steals across this past season with the Bruins as a threat on both ends of the court.

The Sun welcomes Kneepkens having just acquired Two-Time Defensive Player of the Year and Ten-Time WNBA All-Star center Brittney Griner from the Atlanta Dream. 

[Related: A basketball player from ‘the hockey state’: Gianna Kneepkens joins UCLA]

(Aidan Sun/Assistant Photo editor)