When it comes to producing women’s basketball superstars, no program does it better than UConn.
Year after year, the Huskies have sent basketball prodigies to the WNBA, and their impact on the league has been legendary. From all-time greats like Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi to modern talents like Breanna Stewart, UConn Huskies have dominated the WNBA for decades.
These women didn’t just make it to the pros, they redefined the game. Let’s take a look at the five most successful UConn players to ever grace the WNBA hardwood.
1. Napheesa Collier
Napheesa Collier may be one of the newer faces on this list, but she has already carved out her legacy as a force to be reckoned with. She was a dominant presence at UConn and led the Huskies to the 2016 national championship. Additionally, she was an All-WNBA First-Team member in 2023 and 2024.
When the Minnesota Lynx selected her with the No. 6 pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft, she wasted no time proving she belonged, winning Rookie of the Year. Fast forward to 2024, and Collier is now a four-time WNBA All-Star and the reigning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. With her elite two-way game, she is definitely poised to scale the heights of the WNBA.
2. Maya Moore
Maya Moore didn’t just win — she dominated at every level. At UConn, she capturee two national championships (2009, 2010) and was named the Naismith College Player of the Year twice (2009, 2011). When she entered the WNBA as the No. 1 pick in 2011, expectations were sky-high, and she surpassed every single one.
Moore became the heart and soul of the Lynx, winning four WNBA championships and cementing herself as one of the greatest players ever. She even took home the 2014 WNBA MVP award. Her impact was so immense that the Lynx retired her No. 23 jersey, a rare honor that speaks volumes about her legacy as one of just five Minnesota legends to earn the distinction.
3. Diana Taurasi
Taurasi is one of the greatest scorers in WNBA history. A three-time NCAA champion at UConn, Taurasi was the No. 1 pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft and immediately became the face of the Phoenix Mercury.
READ MORE: Every UConn Alumnus Who Dominated the WNBA and Won a Championship
Nicknamed the “White Mamba” by Kobe Bryant himself, Taurasi has built a career on unshakable confidence and a relentless scoring ability. She won three WNBA championships, earned 2009 WNBA MVP honors, and became the all-time leading scorer in WNBA history, a title she still holds by a margin of nearly 3,000 points.
Whether it’s draining deep 3s or destroying defenses, Taurasi remains one of the most lethal players the league has ever seen.
4. Breanna Stewart
Frankly, it’s hard to put Stewart’s career into words because she makes winning look effortless. At UConn, she pulled off the impossible: four straight national championships while being named the Most Outstanding Player in every single NCAA tournament she played in.
As the No. 1 pick in 2016, she stepped into the WNBA and picked up right where she left off. She’s already won two MVP awards (2018, 2023), three WNBA championships (2018, 20220, 2024), and two WNBA Finals MVPs (2018, 2020). With her elite scoring and defense, Stewart is already a legend, and most importantly, she’s far from done.
5. Sue Bird
No list of WNBA legends is complete without Bird. A two-time national champion at UConn and the No. 1 pick in the 2002 WNBA Draft, Bird became the undisputed leader of the Seattle Storm.
With a record 13 WNBA All-Star appearances, four WNBA championships, and the title of all-time assists leader in WNBA history, Bird was the definition of a floor general. Her leadership and extraordinary court vision made her one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game.
Paige Bueckers Gearing Up To Be the Next UConn Great in the WNBA
With a legacy this rich, UConn isn’t slowing down anytime soon, and the next big name on the horizon is Paige Bueckers.
Bueckers made history by becoming the first freshman to win the Wooden Award. Additionally, she scored a career-high 40 points in UConn’s Sweet 16 win against the Oklahoma Sooners, setting a new UConn record for the most points scored in a single NCAA tournament game.
She also moved into fourth place on UConn’s all-time scoring list, surpassing Katie Lou Samuelson and Tina Charles. On top of that, Bueckers is now the only UConn player in the last 25 years to record multiple 30-point games in the same NCAA tournament.
Bueckers is certainly poised to follow in the footsteps of Bird, Taurasi, Stewart, and Moore, as she has announced she will enter the 2025 WNBA Draft. And when she finally makes the leap to the WNBA, expect her to carry on UConn’s tradition of greatness.