Kentucky WBB point guard Chasity Patterson declares for WNBA Draft

In a move that was expected, Chasity Patterson is moving on to the next stage in her career.

The Kentucky Wildcats Women’s Basketball point guard announced via Twitter earlier on Tuesday that she would not exercise her extra year of eligibility and instead declare for the WNBA Draft, which is scheduled for April 15 at 7:00 p.m. EST on ESPN. Patterson has spent the last two-plus of her life in Lexington, winning SEC Sixth Woman of the Year during the 2019-20 season before assuming responsibilities as Kentucky’s second-best scorer in 2020-21.

#GODSPEED 🙏🏾🏁 pic.twitter.com/ms1zgsst2u

— Chasity Patterson (@Chazzthereal) March 30, 2021

“First and foremost, I just want to thank God for the opportunity to be able to play the sport I love at the Divison-1 level,” Patterson wrote. “As a kid growing up in Houston, Texas, this has always been a dream of mine.

“The last three years in Lexington have been special and I’ll forever remember every fan, teammate, coach and staff member that’s impacted my life. I’ll have memories that will last forever.

“To my family, thank you for all your love, encouragement and support throughout my career. You’re the foundation of what makes me special. Simply saying thank you isn’t enough. I love ya’ll.

“Being a KENTUCKY WILDCAT was an honor and I appreciate all the love and support. Kentucky will always be in my heart and I promise to represent this program the rest of my life! With that being said, I want to officially announce that I am not seeking an additional year of eligibility in college and will enter the WNBA Draft and begin my professional career.”

Patterson, a former five-star recruit from the class of 2017, initially began her career at Texas, spending her first season with the Longhorns before transferring at the beginning of her sophomore year. She landed in Lexington with then-head coach Matthew Mitchell in December of 2018 but was forced to sit out two full semesters before gaining eligibility. Patterson made her Wildcat debut on Dec. 21, 2019, in a win over California and went on to thrive in an off-the-bench role the rest of the season.

As a senior this past year, Patterson was a lethal weapon on defense and a consistent scorer on offense. She averaged 2.8 steals per game, one of the best marks in the entire country that landed her on the SEC All-Defensive Team, while also putting up 12.4 points per outing on shooting splits of 46.9/36.0/78.6. Standing at just 5-foot-5, Patterson played taller and stronger than she actually was and became a necessary component to the 2020-21 Wildcats. If the Kentucky offense was in a rut, they could count on Patterson to go get a tough bucket.

Patterson could have theoretically come back for another season due to the NCAA granting a blanket eligibility waiver for the 2020-21 season, but she has elected to take the next step. The WNBA Draft consists of 36 total picks divided into three rounds of 12 each, although Patterson is not listed by any of the popular outlet’s mock drafts. Despite that, Patterson possesses incredible scoring ability with a nose for smart defense. Odds are high she’ll find her way onto a WNBA squad one way or another.

Congrats to Chaz!