Leger-Walker creates history in WNBA draft
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
New Zealand basketball star Charlisse Leger-Walker has created history, becoming the first Kiwi woman selected in the WNBA Draft.
The 24-year-old was selected 18th overall pick by the Connecticut Sun in New York in a landmark moment for New Zealand basketball.
LATEST HEADLINES:
Leger-Walker who plays as a guard is just the second New Zealand woman to reach the WNBA, following Megan Compain, who played for the Utah Starzz in 1997 but was not drafted.
Her selection comes on the back of a remarkable college career in the United States, culminating in an NCAA championship with the UCLA Bruins women's basketball last month - the first time a New Zealand woman has achieved the feat.
After beginning her NCAA journey at Washington State Cougars women's basketball (2020-2024), Leger-Walker transferred to UCLA. A serious knee injury sidelined her in her first season with the Bruins, but she rebounded in emphatic fashion, playing 38 games in her final year and averaging 8.4 points and 5.6 assists.
She contributed 10 points in the championship win over South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball, capping a season that underlined her resilience and playmaking ability.
Leger-Walker attended St Peter's School in Cambridge and hails from a strong basketball lineage - her mother, Leanne Walker, is a former Tall Fern, while her sister Krystal has also represented New Zealand.
The 2026 draft saw Azzi Fudd, who went No.1 overall to the Dallas Wings, while Leger-Walker's UCLA teammate Lauren Betts was selected fourth by the Washington Mystics..