WNBA Draft Picks – USF Athletics

At the time, Williams was the second-highest draft pick of any women’s sport at USF. USF Hall of Famer Monica Triner (‘99) was the second overall pick in the 1999 Women’s Professional Softball League draft.

Most recently, Elena Tsineke and Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu became the seventh and eighth player in program history to be selected in the 2023 WNBA Draft, and the first ever Bull’s to be selected back-to-back. Tsineke was chosen by the Washington Mystics in the second round with the 20th overall pick and, seconds later, Fankam Mendjiadeu went as the the 21st overall pick to the Seattle Storm.

Former Bulls’ standout Kitija Laksa is the sixth player in program history to be selected in the WNBA Draft, when the Seattle Storm chose her in the first round with the 11th overall pick in 2020. Laksa was also just the third USF women’s basketball player to be selected in the first round.

Only seven Bulls of any sport have been selected in the top 10 picks, respectively. Men’s soccer has had four top-10 picks in the MLS drafts: Mark Chung ‘97 – sixth; Mike Mekelburg ‘96 – eighth; Jeff Cunningham ‘98 – ninth; Anthony Wallace ‘07 – ninth. Women’s soccer’s Evelyne Viens was selected fifth in the 2020 NWSL Draft.

SOUTH FLORIDA’S WNBA DRAFT PICKS
Year	Player	Team	Round/Overall
2023	Elena Tsineke	Washington Mystics	2nd Rd./20th Overall
2023	Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu	Seattle Storm	2nd Rd./21st Overall
2020	Kitija Laksa	Seattle Storm	1st Rd./11th Overall
2016	Courtney Williams	Phoenix Mercury	1st Rd./8th Overall
2014	Inga Orekhova	Atlanta Dream	2nd Rd./18th Overall
2013	Andrea Smith	Connecticut Sun	3rd Rd./35th Overall
2007	Jessica Dickson	Sacramento Monarchs	2nd Rd./21st Overall
1997	Wanda Guyton	Houston Comets	1st Rd./5th Overall

Courtney Williams (‘16) was selected in the first round by the Phoenix Mercury in April 2016. Williams was the eighth overall pick, the second-highest drafted Bull in USF women’s basketball history, behind Wanda Guyton who went fifth overall in the 1997 WNBA Draft to the Houston Comets. Williams guided the Connecticut Sun the 2019 WNBA Finals, joining Guyton as the only two former Bulls to play in the WNBA Finals. Guyton won two WNBA titles in 1997 and 1998.
At the time, Williams was the second-highest draft pick of any women’s sport at USF. USF Hall of Famer Monica Triner (‘99) was the second overall pick in the 1999 Women’s Professional Softball League draft.
Most recently, Elena Tsineke and Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu became the seventh and eighth player in program history to be selected in the 2023 WNBA Draft, and the first ever Bull’s to be selected back-to-back. Tsineke was chosen by the Washington Mystics in the second round with the 20th overall pick and, seconds later, Fankam Mendjiadeu went as the the 21st overall pick to the Seattle Storm.
Former Bulls’ standout Kitija Laksa is the sixth player in program history to be selected in the WNBA Draft, when the Seattle Storm chose her in the first round with the 11th overall pick in 2020. Laksa was also just the third USF women’s basketball player to be selected in the first round.
Only seven Bulls of any sport have been selected in the top 10 picks, respectively. Men’s soccer has had four top-10 picks in the MLS drafts: Mark Chung ‘97 – sixth; Mike Mekelburg ‘96 – eighth; Jeff Cunningham ‘98 – ninth; Anthony Wallace ‘07 – ninth. Women’s soccer’s Evelyne Viens was selected fifth in the 2020 NWSL Draft.
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