“I’m going in with an open mind, taking in a lot from the vets and just learning a lot and then just being the best teammate I can and whatever role that is that I need to partake in then I’m going to do that.”
It has been a big fortnight for Leger-Walker, who last week became the first Kiwi to win the women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship, as the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) won the women’s Division One championship with a 79-51 victory over South Carolina.
The road to the national championship was a long one for the Hamilton-born star, who transferred to UCLA from Washington State University ahead of the 2024-25 season, but did not play as she was rehabilitating an ACL injury.
That ACL injury saw Leger-Walker withdraw from consideration for the 2024 WNBA draft.
In her final college season, she averaged 8.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game while shooting 45.7% from the field.
Overall, it was a historic night for Leger-Walker’s school UCLA, with teammates Lauren Betts, Gabriela Jaquez, Kiki Rice, Angela Dugalić and Gianna Kneepkens also getting selected, breaking the record for the most players from one school drafted in the same year, and all of whom were selected in the first round.
Leger-Walker will link up with Kneepkens at the Sun, who was taken with the 15th pick, while Betts (fourth) and Dugalić (ninth) were picked by the Washington Mystics, Jaquez, the sister of Miami Heat star Jaime Jaquez jnr, taken fifth by the Chicago Sky and Rice (sixth) to the Toronto Temple.
Azzi Fudd was selected by the Dallas Wings with the No 1 pick.
Her sister and fellow Tall Fern Krystal Leger-Walker took to Instagram prior to the draft to say how proud she was of her sister.
“I can’t wait to see which coach is smart enough to pick you up … because that franchise is going to be so lucky,“ the post read.
“I love you so, so, so much. I’m already crying tears of joy. So proud of you – your courage, your fearlessness, everything you are.”
As part of the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, second-round picks who sign with their teams are guaranteed $460,000.
The Suns finished last season with a 11-33 record last season and the upcoming campaign will be their last in Connecticut, as they are set to relocate and play under a new moniker, pending WNBA approval.
Charlisse Leger-Walker in action for the Tall Ferns. Photo / Photosport
Leger-Walker has also been a regular player for the Tall Ferns since her debut in 2018.
The WNBA will have 15 teams for the upcoming season, an increase of two following the inclusion of the Portland Fire and the Tempo. while three more have been slated to be added by 2030.
Training camps begin next Monday, with the 2026 season set to start on May 8.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.
