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12 Gamecocks, 17 UConn Alums Set WNBA Record

5/9/2026

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Summary

Colleges Saturate Roster

The 2026 WNBA season opened with a program-record 12 former South Carolina Gamecocks on opening rosters.
UConn placed 17 alumni on nine of the league’s 15 teams, the most of any college.
The Big 12 contributed 13 players, with Baylor supplying five, the highest from a single school.
The ACC supplied 38 former players.
The Las Vegas Aces carried five alumni, the most of any team.

Summary

Survey Highlights

GM survey shows Paige Bueckers (33%) as top franchise starter, A'ja Wilson (60%) as MVP favorite, and Las Vegas Aces (40%) as championship favorite.
Chelsea Gray led the poll for best point guard (73%), best passer (93%) and best basketball IQ (93%).
Cheryl Reeve earned 53% of votes as best head coach.
Olivia Miles led rookie voting with 73%.

History

Historical Context

In 1997 the WNBA’s inaugural draft allocated pioneers like UConn star Rebecca Lobo to the New York Liberty and selected players in four rounds. That launch created a UConn pipeline—50 alumni drafted, seven as first-overall picks such as Sue Bird (2002) and Paige Bueckers (2025). Current drafts continue to draw heavily from college programs, showing the lasting impact of those early pipelines.

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Colleges Saturate Roster

The 2026 WNBA season opened with a program-record 12 former South Carolina Gamecocks on opening rosters.
UConn placed 17 alumni on nine of the league’s 15 teams, the most of any college.
The Big 12 contributed 13 players, with Baylor supplying five, the highest from a single school.
The ACC supplied 38 former players.
The Las Vegas Aces carried five alumni, the most of any team.

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