Notre Dame women’s basketball: Where Maya Dodson went in the 2022 WNBA Draft
Add another name to the lengthy list of former Notre Dame women’s basketball players who have been selected in the WNBA Draft.
The Phoenix Mercury picked center Maya Dodson with the No. 26 overall choice in the third round of Monday night’s draft. The Mercury went 19-13 in the regular season in 2021. They lost 3-1 to the Chicago Sky in a best-of-five series in the WNBA Finals.
Former Notre Dame players Skylar Diggins-Smith and Brianna Turner are both on the Mercury.
Dodson is the 20th Notre Dame player all time to hear her name called on draft night. The Irish went in ranking 10th nationally among schools with the draft pick production. Dodson is the first player drafted out of Notre Dame since the Irish had five players picked in 2019 fresh off back-to-back appearances in the national title game.
There was a chance Dodson’s advancement to the next level would have had to wait until next year. A source told BlueandGold.com she would have rather returned to Notre Dame for one more season if the NCAA approved her waiver for an extra year of eligibility. The waiver was denied, so the 6-3 post player had no choice but to enter the draft.
Dodson averaged 12.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in 33 starts with the Irish. She blocked 91 shots. Only five players in women’s college basketball blocked more. Her departure from the program leaves Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey with a lot of work to do in rebuilding the roster for next season. Three key bench players are also leaving via the transfer portal.
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• How Notre Dame DC Al Golden views Harvard transfer Chris Smith’s fit in Irish defense
Most WNBA Draft picks prior to the 2022 draft
- UConn: 40
- Tennessee: 40
- Stanford: 27
- Duke: 25
- Georgia: 24
- Baylor: 21
- North Carolina: 21
- Rutgers: 21
- Maryland: 19
- Notre Dame: 19
All-time Notre Dame WNBA Draft picks
- 2001: Ruth Riley (Round 1, Pick 5)
- 2001: Niele Ivey (Round 2, Pick 3)
- 2001: Kelley Siemon (Round 3, Pick 16)
- 2002: Ericka Haney (Round 3, Pick 15)
- 2005: Jacqueline Batteast (Round 2, Pick 4)
- 2006: Megan Duffy (Round 3, Pick 3)
- 2008: Charel Allen (Round 3, Pick 15)
- 2012: Devereaux Peters (Round 1, Pick 3)
- 2012: Natalie Novosel (Round 1, Pick 8)
- 2013: Skylar Diggins (Round 1, Pick 3)
- 2014: Kaya McBride (Round 1, Pick 3)
- 2014: Natalie Achonwa (Round 1, Pick 9)
- 2015: Jewel Lloyd (Round 1, Pick 1)
- 2017: Lindsay Allen (Round 2, Pick 2)
- 2019: Jackie Young (Round 1, Pick 1)
- 2019: Arike Ogunbowale (Roujnd 1, Pick 5)
- 2019: Briana Turner (Round 1, Pick 11)
- 2019: Jessica Shepard (Round 2, Pick 4)
- 2019: Marina Mabrey (Round 2, Pick 7)
- 2022: Maya Dodson (Round 3, Pick 26)
