UConn women’s Christyn Williams, Evina Westbrook and Olivia Nelson-Ododa officially declare for 2022 WNBA draft

With the UConn women’s basketball team’s season over, three Huskies have officially declared for the 2022 WNBA draft.

The WNBA announced on Wednesday that 5-foot-11 senior guard Christyn Williams, 6-foot graduate guard Evina Westbrook and 6-5 senior forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa all formally filed as candidates for the draft, which will take place on Monday at Spring Studios in New York.

Williams and Nelson-Ododa had an extra year of eligibility remaining but had made clear earlier they would be moving on to the professional ranks and were honored on Senior Day at Gampel Pavilion.

The UConn season ended with a loss to South Carolina in the NCAA championship game on Sunday.

Williams, from Little Rock, Ark., averaged 14.2 points per game and was presented the Ann Meyers Drysdale award as the nation’s top shooting guard. She played 132 games at UConn, scoring 1,850 points.

Nelson-Ododa, from Winder, Ga., played in 133 games, averaging 8.9 points and 6.7 rebounds. She has a versatile skill set for a center, including passing skills.

Westbrook, who transferred from Tennessee and sat out the 2019-20 season, could have entered the draft last year but chose to return citing unfinished business at UConn. She played 130 games at the two schools, averaging 10.3 points, 4.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals.

Various mock drafts have all three being selected within the first two rounds. ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel has Williams going to the Connecticut Sun with the 12th overall pick, Westbrook going to the Minnesota Lynx with the first pick of the second round, 13th overall, and Nelson-Ododa going to the Atlanta Dream at No. 15.

CBSSports.com’s Jack Maloney has Westbrook going to the Los Angeles Sparks at No. 9, and Williams to the Sun at No. 12. Lines.com projects Williams to Los Angeles at No. 9 and Nelson-Ododa to the Sun at No. 24. In the WNBA’s roundup of mock drafts, Bleacher Report projects Williams to the Indiana Fever at No. 10 and Westbrook to the Las Vegas Aces at No. 11. HerHoopStats has Westbrook going to Los Angeles at No. 9.

The total number of NCAA players available is 108. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert will announce the draft picks live on ESPN starting at 7 p.m.. The draft will also be available on the ESPN App.

Top prospects will take part in the studio for the first time since 2019. The Dream acquired the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft from the Washington Mystics on Wednesday. Baylor’s NaLyssa Smith and Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard are considered candidates for the top pick.