For UConn starting guard and NCAA champion Kaitlyn Chen, the road to the Final 4 started at Princeton.
And it ended not only with Chen hoisting the championship trophy, but with her former Princeton teammates there for the ride.
“Kaitlyn was our freshman and we took her in,” said Chen’s backcourt mate at Princeton, Julia Cunningham. “We watched her grow throughout her Princeton career and so we had to be here for her very final college basketball game. It ended with a natty and we couldn’t be more happy or proud.”
Cunningham was just one of several former Princeton teammates who made the trip to Tampa Bay to watch UConn win its 12th national championship but first since 2016.
“I graduated with Kaitlyn last year and she’s one of my very best friends,” former Princeton forward Ellie Mitchell said. “This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to see this and we’re just so proud of her. We had to make the trip here and we had to be here for her.”
Chen started all three years she played at Princeton. However, she graduated last year, and the Ivy League does not allow fifth year players. She was recruited by several teams including UCLA which the Huskies soundly defeated in the semifinals. She’s overjoyed she chose UConn.
“Being here is just a special special experience. Having the coaches I have and the teammates I have, they made the transition here as seamless and as smooth as it could be. I’m just so glad I’ve been able to do it with this group. I think we’re going to have a real good night tonight.”
According to the College Sports Network, she is expected to enter the WNBA draft although it cautions a final decision hasn’t been made. While at Princeton, she averaged nearly 16 points per game and five assists.
She started every game at UConn but played a smaller role at a school stacked with star players Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong. Still, Chen averaged 7 points a game for the Huskies.
The College Sports Network predicts several WNBA teams would have an interest in Chen’s due to her all-around game.
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