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Even in a season that lacks Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, former UConn women’s basketball players are still making headlines in the WNBA. Here are some of the biggest story lines from Huskies in the league this week:
New York Liberty Snap Losing Streak Behind Three Former Huskies
Until this past weekend, the New York Liberty had not won a game since July 15, 2018. They closed last season on a 13-game losing streak and then opened the 2019 season with four more losses. On Sunday, the Liberty finally got in the win column. Former UConn great Tina Charles led the Liberty with 21 points, and also added 8 rebounds and 4 assists in the win. Former Huskies Bria Hartley and Kia Nurse also added 17 and 15 points, respectively.
Hartley has since headed overseas for the Eurobasket tournament, but Nurse came up big for the Liberty in their second straight win last night. Nurse scored 26 points, shot 60 percent from the floor and tallied 4 assists in the victory. Former Husky Kiah Stokes also plays for New York.
Napheesa Collier Emerging as Early Favorite to Win Rookie of the Year
Since Collier scored 27 points in her WNBA debut, she has continued putting up impressive numbers for the Minnesota Lynx. Across all rookies she ranks second in both points per game (11.7) and rebounds per game (4.7). Collier is also averaging 1.7 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game so far. Expanding the field to the whole league, Collier’s numbers are still impressive. She ranks 13th in the league for total points scored (82), and fifth in win shares (1.1).
Katie Lou Samuelson Out With Hand Injury
Many of the former UConn greats in the WNBA are out with injuries this season. This week, Katie Lou Samuelson joined that list. According to the Chicago Sun Times, Samuelson suffered a small fracture in her right wrist and will be in a cast for at least three weeks. Prior to her injury, Samuelson played in three games for the Chicago Sky. She averaged 13.3 minutes, 2.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in those games.