Hokies’ history: Pair get picked
Virginia Tech had two players selected in the WNBA draft for the first time in program history Monday night.
The Chicago Sky chose Kayana Traylor with the 23rd overall pick, the 11th of the second round.
Not long after, the Minnesota Lynx took Taylor Soule with the 28th selection, the fourth in the third and final round.
Both were key starters as the Hokies enjoyed the best season in program history, winning the ACC Tournament and an NCAA regional on their way to their first Final Four, where they lost to eventual champion LSU in a semifinal after leading by nine entering the fourth quarter.
Traylor, who spent three years with Purdue, played her last two seasons with the Hokies, averaging 10.7 points per game. She equaled Aisha Sheppard, who was chosen 23rd last season by the eventual champion Las Vegas Aces, as the highest draft choice in Hokies history.
Soule played for Boston College as an undergraduate, three times earning some form of All-ACC honors, and played for Tech as a grad student. As a Hokie, she scored in double digits 20 times and was on the All-ACC second team for the regular season and tournament.
Even with the selections of Taylor and Soule, the Hokies’ two most prominent players, All-American Elizabeth Kitley in the frontcourt and Georgia Amoore in the backcourt, are returning.
Meanwhile, the Indiana Fever selected South Carolina star Aliyah Boston with their first No. 1 pick in franchise history. The 6-foot-5 Boston, a three-time Associated Press All-American and the Player of the Year as a junior, guided the Gamecocks to three Final Four appearances.
Boston was one of three South Carolina players taken in the first round. Laeticia Amihere went eighth to Atlanta and Zia Cooke 10th to Los Angeles. It’s the 10th time that three players from the same team were drafted in the opening round.
The Gamecocks also had two other players drafted, with Brea Beal going 24th to Minnesota and Victaria Saxton picked next by Indiana.
Minnesota took Diamond Miller of Maryland with the No. 2 pick, and Dallas drafted Maddy Siegrist of Villanova with the third pick.
The Wings also drafted UConn guard Lou Lopez Senechal two picks later.
Stephanie Soares of Iowa State went fourth to Washington. The Mystics quickly traded her to Dallas soon after selecting the 6-foot-7 center. Washington got back a first-round pick in 2025 and second-round pick in 2024.
Stanford guard Haley Jones went sixth to Atlanta. Indiana’s Grace Berger was drafted seventh by the Fever.
Seattle took Tennessee’s Jordan Horston ninth. Dallas chose Maryland’s Abby Meyers with the 11th pick.