STORRS, Conn. – UConn senior center Stefanie Dolson has been selected by the Washington Mystics with the No. 6 pick while senior guard Bria Hartley was selected by the Seattle Storm with the seventh pick of the 2014 WNBA Draft, presented by State Farm. The Draft was held Monday night at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
Dolson and Hartley will be the 28th and 29th different former Huskies to play in the WNBA since the league’s inception in 1997. UConn has now had a player selected in the WNBA Draft 15 times in the last 17 years. UConn did not have any seniors on its roster in 2003 or 2007. Dolson and Hartley are the 14th and 15th Huskies all-time to be selected in the first round of the WNBA Draft.
A two-time WBCA All-America selection, Dolson completed her career at UConn as one of the most dominant basketball players at the Division I level. A winner of two national championships, Dolson ranks first in UConn history with 152 starts, fourth in rebounds (1,101) and blocks (254) and 12th in total points (1,797). During her senior campaign in 2013-14, Dolson was named the WBCA Division I Defensive Player of the Year as was also tabbed as the 2013-14 American Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Sportsmanship Award winner.
Dolson, the 2013-14 Senior CLASS Award winner in NCAA Division I women’s basketball, was a critical piece of UConn’s title run this past season. She contributed 93 blocks, helping Connecticut set the NCAA team record for most single-season blocks (326).
In 2012-13, the center was named to the 2012-13 All-BIG EAST First Team and earned a spot on the 2012-13 Associated Press All-America Third Team. As a sophomore, she was named to the 2011-12 Preseason Naismith Award Watch List and was placed on the 2011-12 BIG EAST All-Tournament Team.
During her career at UConn, the Huskies won 144 of 155 of their games and reached the Final Four in every season. The senior closed her career on a 46-game winning streak, dating back to the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
A two-time WBCA All-America selection, Hartley departs UConn after winning two National Championships and making four Final Four appearances as a four-year starter. The North Babylon, N.Y. native etched her name into the Connecticut history books, finishing sixth in program history with 140 starts and 259 made three-pointers and ninth in total points (1,994).
A 2013-14 Associated Press Second Team All-America selection, Hartley was named as a finalist for the Wade and Wooden Awards and was named a USBWA All-American in her senior campaign. In 2012-13, she was named to the 2013 All-NCAA Tournament Team and led the Huskies in assists a team-high 16 times throughout the season.
As a sophomore, she was tabbed as both a 2011-12 WBCA/State Farm All-American and an All-BIG EAST First Team member. She burst on the women’s NCAA basketball scene in 2010-11 as the 2010-11 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year.
She joined elite company in her final season in Storrs, becoming just the third Husky, alongside Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi to amass 1,500 points/500 assists/500 rebounds.
UPDATE 10:15 p.m.: The duo will remain as teammates as Hartley was part of trade that sent her to the Washington Mystics.
photo credits: uconn women’s basketball facebook
